Thursday, November 27, 2008

Corruption under MNF at its peak: PM

Aizawl: Alleging that corruption has reached "endemic" proportion under the Mizo National Front Government, Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said Mizoram needed a Government which could exploit the State's potential in agriculture and create new industry and jobs.

"Your state needs a government that will fulfill its enormous potential in agriculture, create new industry and thousands of jobs ... a government that will not be an inward- looking and that will be interested in building stronger bridges with mainstream Indian economy," he told an election rally launching Congress campaign for the December 2 assembly elections.

Addressing the rally on his maiden visit to the State, Singh said "I am sorry to say that corruption under the MNF Government has reached endemic proportions ... there are allegations of irregularities by the State Government machinery."

The Centre had given Rs 125 crore to meet the menace of bamboo flowering, the Prime Miniser said and asked "what happened to all this money?

"Do you really want a government which is unaccountable and tainted? The Congress party does not believe in the blame game but the facts are there for you to see."

Giving a list of development projects undertaken by the UPA Government for the benefit of the people of Mizoram, the Prime Minister said former RBI Governor Dr Rangarajan's report on the problems of the North East was followed up sincerely.

The Centre, Singh said, launched a massive Rs 5500 crore special accelerated road development programme for the north eastern region on the assessment that connectivity was its greatest hurdle.

The Prime Minister said that under various programmes such as the National Rural Health Mission, the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the Jawarharlal Nehru Urban Renewal mission the Centre had forwarded sufficient funds to the MNF Government, which "failed" to implement them due to "inefficiency".

Giving examples of delay by the Government, he said the 60MW Turial hydel project had been delayed and 12MW Serlui B Project remained incomplete.

He said over 20,000 Mizo farmers had received benefits of the Rs 34.22 crore loan waiver launched by the Centre but this could not hasten the slow pace of development in the agriculture sector.

The Centre, he said, had launched the horticulture mission "but unfortunately the Mizoram government has not submitted the requisite proposals to implement it though vast potentialities exists in the State.

(PTI)

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