JOIN USSP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and the BSP MP Dara Singh Chouhan on Monday lambasted the Union Government for shortcomings and failures of its policies and programmes.
Taking part in a debate in the Lok Sabha (LS) on “Motion of Thanks” to the President for her address to the joint session of Parliament on June 4, Yadav and Chouhan alleged that the Congress had been in power for most of the time since independence and its failed policies and programmes came in the way of the nation’s prosperity.
Yadav criticised the erstwhile Congress-led Governments as well as the new UPA Government for failures in the fields of agriculture, education, employment, healthcare, naxalism and foreign policy. He said that the Congress governments in the past and the Congress-led coalition Governments since 2004 had announced a number of programmes, but had it implemented at least 20 per cent of them, the country would have progressed.
“We have been hearing the garibi hatao (eradicate poverty) slogan since long, but the number of poverty-stricken people have just gone up,” Yadav said.
The SP chief alleged that the first UPA Government’s flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) programme was not being adequately and appropriately implemented and contended that farmers continue to be in distress despite loan waiver.
He said that the NREG Act had provisions for the employment of only 100 days in a year. “But what about the remaining 265 days? The programme should envisage employment for at least 300 days in a year,” he added. He said that NREGA had failed too because its benefits were not reaching poor people as unscrupulous contractors were siphoning off money from it, using fake names.
BSP MP Dara Singh Chauhan also echoed Yadav’s views. He suggested that NREG programme should be reviewed and employment should be guaranteed throughout the year.
DH News Service