Congress panels to monitor central schemes

Each committee will be required to compile regular reports and submit these to a senior party leader,who will not only be the in-charge of all panels and also serve as a link between the state and the central units.

These reports will then be sent to relevant ministries for further action.

Congress leaders in the state have long been complaining that the party has failed to communicate to the masses about its schemes. The impact of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in the state,for which the state government is claiming credit,is a case in point. In fact,the Mayawati government has been able to create an impression in large sections that it is responsible for all the work that is being done under JNNURM.

“We have failed to communicate to the masses that these development works are being done under a central government scheme. People get surprised when we tell them that the work that they see in their cities is actually conceptualised by the Centre. Our party has better chances in cities,yet we have failed to communicate with the people living there,” said a senior leader.

He added: “A few years ago,we had a JNNURM cell but it was dissolved as no one pursued it seriously. The same is the story with NREGA,Indira Awas Yojna,RSBY,etc. These are being funded by the Centre but the state government is taking credit.”

The Congress also plans to constitute a separate committee to monitor the implementation of minority welfare schemes,many of which are sponsored by the Centre. “The AICC has told us to form such monitoring committees. While some work has started,things would be finalised once our state president returns to Lucknow on January 10,” said Subodh Srivastava,state Congress spokesperson.

Sources in the party,however,said that it will be “a major challenge” to find leaders who can take up such a task systematically and with commitment. Forming units till the grassroots level,collecting data,preparing reports and coordinating with central leaders is not something that every political worker can do,said a leader.