The Hindu : National : Mayawati meets Manmohan

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Tuesday, Oct 19, 2010
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National

Mayawati meets Manmohan

Gargi Parsai

Mayawati

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide an assistance of Rs. 2,351 crore for the 33 flood-hit districts of the State, and to expedite the release of funds for various development projects “pending” with the Centre.

She also sought his intervention in speeding up the approvals for the Taj International Airport at Jewar and for declaring the Rs. 7,250-crore Saryu river-project a “national project” under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme.

Ms. Mayawati reiterated the demand for a Special Area Incentive Package for the Bundelkhand and Purvanchal regions.

Sources in the Prime Minister Office said the meeting, that lasted an hour, was “cordial.”

The former Cabinet Secretary and Planning Commission member, B.K. Chaturvedi, will coordinate on the issues raised by Ms. Mayawati. The State has been advised to raise specific matters with departments concerned.

Addressing the media after meeting Dr. Singh at his residence, Ms. Mayawati said she would be “grateful” to the Prime Minister for taking steps to expedite Central funding for various developmental projects. “Dr. Singh assured me that the Centre would give a serious thought to our problems.”

She last met Dr. Singh in August 2009, with a demand for a special package for uninterrupted power supply to Uttar Pradesh, and a package for the water-starved Bundelkhand.

In the interim period, Ms. Mayawati skipped a meeting of the National Development Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, on agrarian crisis and internal security. A Minister of her Cabinet represented her.

On the alleged diversion of funds meant for the welfare of the Dalits to the Commonwealth Games by the Delhi government, Ms. Mayawati said the Bahujan Samaj Party had raised the issue during the monsoon session of Parliament and was assured that the money would be returned.

The BSP chief was accompanied by Rajya Sabha member and senior leader Satish Chandra Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Atul Gupta, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh and other senior officials.

However, in a press statement issued here, Ms. Mayawati charged the Centre with adopting a “discriminatory attitude” towards Uttar Pradesh on issues relating to rural development.

She sought Rs. 5,962 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Rs. 9,700 crore under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana for rural electrification. She demanded about Rs. 554.24 crore for scholarships to students from the Other Backward Classes before and after class X and Rs. 855.98 crore as the Central share for the implementation of the University Grants Commission pay scales.

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