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Sonia urges NGOs to be partners in development

Special Correspondent

Lauds Rajiv Gandhi's role in granting more powers to PR bodies

TIRUPATI: United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has asked voluntary bodies such as non-governmental organisations and Self-Help Groups to become partners in development and take forward the new initiatives of the UPA Government in this direction.

Addressing the annual summit of the `Akhil Bharat Rachanatmaka Samaj'— a confederation of voluntary organisations— at the SV University stadium here on Saturday, Ms. Gandhi said that the credit for devolving more powers and funds to Panchayat Raj bodies must go to late Rajiv Gandhi. But for his `vision and untiring efforts' it would not have become a reality today, she said. It was Rajiv who made the Constitution reflect the new contours of the PR bodies, she said.

`Atrocities continue'

The UPA Chairperson regretted that despite the stringent laws brought about by Rajiv's regime, atrocities against the Dalits and women still continued. Though India was emerging as a strong nation in economic and industrial fronts, rather regrettably hygiene and sanitation still remained a far cry. The `degrading occupation' of manual scavenging was still being continued. All these were the areas where the NGOs and the SHGs could join hands with the Government in sensitising the target groups against the evils and also in making the benefits of the social security schemes effectively reach them, she said.

Ms. Gandhi pointed out that she was happy that the agenda the summit had set before itself for deliberations was not only close to her heart but also the priorities of the UPA Government. She cited in this connection various Government schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the Right to Information Act (RTA), job schemes for the dalits and women and so on.

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