By IANS
Bhopal : Newly appointed Madhya Pradesh Congress President Suresh Pachouri Sunday vowed to take steps to expose and curb corruption in the government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Congress would not only expose corrupt misdeeds of the present government but also take steps to check it, if necessary by taking recourse to legal action, Pachouri told reporters.
“The BJP government in the state came to power on the BSP (bijli, sadak, pani) plank and promised to remove all problems within six months of forming the government, but it has failed to fulfil its commitment,” Pachouri said, addressing the first press conference after assuming the new charge.
Pachouri, who is also union minister of state for personnel and parliamentary affairs, took over the charge of state affairs Saturday.
He alleged law and order situation in the state had worsened and kidnappings and loot had become the order of the day.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) puts the state on top, be it atrocities on the Scheduled Castes, Schedule Tribes and Backward Classes or crimes against women, he said.
Pachouri criticised the ruling BJP for its oft-repeated allegation that Madhya Pradesh had been given “step-motherly” treatment in terms of implementing the centrally funded schemes.
Every year there has been a substantial increase in the fund allocation by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, he said.
“Take for instance the case of ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’. The amount provided to the state has been increased from Rs.1,109 crores (Rs.11 billion) in 2006 to Rs.1,798 crores (Rs.17 billion) in 2007-08, from Rs.80 crores (Rs.8000 million) to Rs.110 crores (Rs.1.1 billion) under ‘Indira Awas Yojana’, or the centre’s share of power to the state that has been increased from 1,800 MW to 2,800 MW,” he said.
“But it is a pity that the state sold 800 MW of power to other states earning crores (of rupees) at the cost of power to the farmers and agriculturists who are not getting power even for irrigation.”
“Thus, the UPA government has granted more funds to the BJP-ruled state as compared to the previous NDA regime but the ruling party members were, however, more interested in utilising funds for their own development than looking after people’s welfare,” the Congress leader alleged.