Trashing claims of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), general secretary of Indian National Congress Mukul Wasnik said BJP’s claims of growth rate in double digit and increase in per capita income are baseless and false.
He said that statistics by the Reserve Bank state that poverty has increased by 35 per cent in Chhattisgarh under BJP’s rule and it is the highest among other States. Around 17,000 women are missing from the State, he said.
He said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has allocated `1 lakh crore to the Chhattisgarh government between 2003 and 2013 under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) and other schemes to benefit the poor. However, the number of people living under Below Poverty line increased from 17 lakh in 2003 to more than 54 lakh in 2013.
“The poor are becoming poorer in Chhattisgarh and the rich richer,” he said. BJP’s promise of better governance in the State is mere tokenism. “Arun Jaitley has mistaken BJP Ministers’ development for state’s development,” he said.
He said even in the 2004 lok Sabha elections, the BJP had talked about India Shining and failed to deliver. Hence, they were thrown out of power. Similarly, this year also the voters will bring back Congress.