BJP-led Chhattisgarh government is corrupt, anti-development: Rahul

Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Nov 10 (IANS) Charging up the election atmosphere in Chhattisgarh, Congress general secretary and MP Rahul Gandhi Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state was 'corrupt and anti-development'.

Addressing a rally at Jagdalpur, district headquarters of Bastar, Gandhi said the state government had poorly handled central government-sponsored job and developmental schemes.

'I feel very sad the way the BJP government in Chhattisgarh handled the three big schemes of the central government related to providing minimum 100 days job in a year to unemployed youths, education programme and caring for tribal people,' Gandhi said.

'The Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) central government,' he said, 'is providing Rs.8,000 crore (80 billion) to Chhattisgarh for various schemes.

'But the money is not reaching the people because of rampant corruption in the government.'

'When the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was in power at the centre it was providing just Rs.800 crore (eight billion) to the state.

'Despite 10 times more funding, development has been halted. The state has witnessed only a sharp rise in corruption as well as Naxalism (Maoism),' the Congrses leader remarked.

Thirty nine of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh go to polls Nov 14 in the first phase of the two-phase elections. Voting will also be held in the Maoist-dominated Bastar region's 12 constituencies in the first round. In last polls, the BJP won nine in the region while the Congress got three.

Gandhi asked the people to vote the Congress to power in the state 'as it will help the state to witness development and also the proper use of money coming in from the central government'.

'This is my second visit to the state,' he said.

'I am always glad to visit Chhattisgarh, as I find it an opportunity to take the relationship of Indira Jee (his grand mother) and Rajiv Jee (his father - both former prime ministers) with tribal people forward,' the Congress MP stated.