By Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi, IANS
Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh) : It was after 30 long years that the people of Rae Bareli got water – for irrigating their fields – from the Sharda Sahayak Canal. Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday addressed a public rally in her constituency to commemorate the occasion.
The canal was constructed during Indira Gandhi’s premiership but went dry due to silting. This led to many farmers migrating to Punjab for jobs as the crop yield fell drastically.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson was jubilant at having fulfilled her election promise to get water to the people through the canal. Addressing her constituency, Sonia Gandhi said: “Completion (of one phase) of the Sharda Sahayak project makes me happy. This was the biggest demand here. People from Sareni and Sataon (two assembly constituencies within Rae Bareli) had to go out for jobs till now as 90 percent of the farm lands were barren.”
She said that farmers from nearby Unnao were also affected as there was no water for irrigation. The canal water will reach them too.
Trying to touch an emotional cord with the masses, Sonia said: “Indira Gandhi had started this scheme (Sharda Sahayak Irrigation project). I asked union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to look into the problem of irrigation here.”
Soz was present on the occasion. Speaking before the Congress president, Soz said he had visited 15-16 villages in the area 14 months back when he started working on the problem at his leader’s orders.
After the survey, the UPA government asked the Uttar Pradesh government to give a detailed report of the funds required to make the canal functional again. The state government put forward a demand of Rs.1.05 billion. Of this, Rs.520 million has been spent. “Sareni and Sataon are getting water now. Flow of water will be maintained throughout the year,” the UPA chairperson promised.
Gandhi said that agriculture was a priority area for the UPA. “The minimum support price of rice, wheat and other rabi crops has been raised. In addition, a fund of Rs.250 billion has been earmarked by the central government for farmers. We are also providing loans to farmers at seven percent,” she said.
She did not forget to remind her constituents that other development schemes like Bharat Nirman Yojana and Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme for those above 65 years and falling below poverty line (BPL) were on. The latter was started on Nov 19, 2007. “We are working on giving pension and providing insurance to labourers, 90 percent of whom work in the unorganised sector,” she said.
Taking a dig at the Uttar Pradesh government, she said that it was not implementing many policies and programs of the central government though it was their responsibility to do so. Citing an example, she said: “I am told that there is a fertiliser shortage here though we have already sent the quota meant for this area.”
She also said that under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme, power should be provided for 14 hours a day to this area, but power is being provided for only nine hours.
Wishing her constituents a happy New Year, Gandhi said that the Lifeline Express, which provides health services to the poor, will be in Rae Bareli soon and stay there for three weeks to meet the requirements of the local people.