UP chief minister Mayawati has lost no time in returning the fire.
Hours after Congress president Sonia Gandhi stated that there was corruption “top to bottom” in Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister issued a press statement late on Thursday night, asking the Congress president to study facts and do some introspection before levelling such charges.
Ms Mayawati said that before levelling allegations of corruption against her government, Mrs Gandhi should have taken a look at the scams of the UPA government which is led by the Congress Party.
She said that while several scams had already been unearthed and if the remaining were brought to the notice of the people, Congress would not be able to face the people. “The entire country is feeling frustrated at the corruption at the centre,” she pointed out.
The chief minister emphasised that her government had never tolerated any sort of corruption and she had taken stringent action against every officer or any person involved in corruption.
Referring to Mrs Gandhi’s statement regarding basic problems in UP despite crores of rupees being given to the state by the centre, Ms Mayawati that the Congress had done nothing for the development of Uttar Pradesh during its regime, owing to which even after 63 years of independence, the state was deprived of basic facilities.
The chief minister said that whenever her government had demanded the money for the development, the centre had overlooked the demand and made several excuses to ensure that UP does not get the due amount and even if it does, there is ample delay.
Citing an example, the chief minister said that UP had to get an amount of `34,083.54 crores from the Central government, out of which only `16,414.16 crores had been made available till October.
“The remaining amount of `17,669.38 crores is yet to be received by the state. It is clear that the centre remains indifferent towards Uttar Pradesh,” Ms Mayawati said.
The chief minister further stated that she had written several letters to the Prime Minister and even met him to explain the state of affairs in UP but there was no response.
Moreover, the UP government did not get the central assistance being provided for the various Central schemes in a timely manner, due to which these schemes got delayed.