AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi is on two days visit to Bundelkhand .  He will address a joint rally with Prime Minister at Banda on Saturday afternoon .  He last came to this region about two years ago.

Rahul Gandhi's continuous efforts to harness the potential of the youth to the development of the nation have started showing positive results. A local leader of Youth Congress said, "Rahul Gandhi's special interest in Bundelkhand has given a strong push to the membership drive of the Youth Congress. .  We have been forced to extend the drive in the region till May 7."  He will discuss party organizational issues with the State and local party leaders.

Bundelkhand, comprising of seven districts in UP, is an under-developed region.  The state government has shown apathy towards this region.  Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has always shown concern for the problems being faced by the people. When the state and local authorities upon whom lies the responsibility for addressing the grievances of the peoples fail to do so, the Young leader has always stepped in to provide needed succor to the helpless people.

The UPA government announced a special package of Rs 7,266 crore in November 2009 for the drought mitigation strategy and integrated development of the region.  Besides an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore was made in the 2010-2011 budget.

It is in this connection that the  Congress leader is visiting Bundelkhand to interact with the people of the region about on-going development work.  He will meet the party workers including Youth Congress workers. .  The young leader  wants to ensure that every aspect of the party organization from ground workers to local leaders, local problems to regional issues, party programmes to party organization, potential candidates to local aspirations and strength are properly discussed, analysed, assessed and changes effected, where required, well in time.

On Friday forenoon, he visited Hamirpur. He met the Youth Congress workers.  The party workers and leaders were full of enthusiasm. The visit of the senior national leader has boosted their morale. He interacted with the Young Congress workers to know their views and gave suggestions to the party workers for strengthening the party organization. Rahul Gandhi also interacted with potential Youth Congress candidates from Hamirpur district for the ensuing Assembly elections.

From Hamirpur, the Youth Congress leader proceeded  to Orai in Jalaun. On the way he stopped at Modina Gala Mandi to interact with farmers.  He inquired from the farmers the rate of the wheat grain.  The farmers informed that while the government had fixed the rate at Rs 1180 per quintal they were being forced to sell it at Rs 980 per quintal thereby brokers were pocketing balance of Rs 200 on every quintal. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh was also with Rahul Gandhi. He assured the farmers that the Congress Party was with them.

It will be recalled that the Bundelkhand monitoring committee was formed by the Congress last year to look into the implementation of the Bundelkhand special package.  The monitoring committee has prepared a report on misapplication and underutilisastion of funds.

UPCC President Rita Bahuguna Joshi has also said that there has been gross misutilisation of funds by the state government which were provided by the UPA government at the Centre for development of Bundelkhand region.  There are no irrigation facilities for the agriculturalists. As a result 40% of cultivable area is not sown.  The UPA government had made available huge funds but only 30% of those funds have reached the people, she further said. While reviewing the arrangements for the rally she highlighted that Bundelkhand has always been important to Congress and that is why the Prime Minister is visiting here tomorrow.

The media persons when asked the common people on the roadside as to what were their expectations from Rahul Gandhi's rally, they stated that they wanted proper implementation of the special Bundelkhand package, irrigation facilities, steps for mitigation of unemployment for stopping painful migration and establishment of industry in the region so that the youth could get better employment opportunities.

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