Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that inclusive growth would remain the central policy of the UPA. The Government had launched a series of welfare schemes and legislative initiatives as per this policy, she said while inaugurating the Zero landless Scheme of the Kerala Government for allotting to all landless families, in Thiruvananthapuram.
“We (UPA) want everyone to march together to make a new India. Nobody should be left behind or sidelined on account of religion, class, caste or creed,” Sonia said, adding that the ruling alliance was committed to carry forward the legacy of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi to create a modern India based on social justice and by providing basic facilities to all.
With this goal in mind, the UPA regime led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had introduced several welfare measures including the Food Security Act. The land Acquisition-Rehabilitation Bill, Right to Education Act, NREGS and Prime Minister’s Gramin Sadak Yojna were some of the other measures launched with this objective, she said.
Sonia praised Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for launching the land allocation programme despite the huge pressures on land due to population growth and rapid urbanization. She added that the Zero landless programme was in tune with the UPA’s social security measures.
The Congress president, who inaugurated the scheme in the capacity of the National Advisory Council chairperson, presented land title deeds to six beneficiaries. As per the scheme, 233,232 families are to be allotted three cents land each in Phase 1. On Monday, documents were distributed to 9,715 beneficiaries in the State.