Agartala, Feb. 16: AICC general secretary and Union minister of state for planning V. Narayanaswamy today lambasted the Tripura government for the growing poverty in the state.
Narayanaswamy told reporters here today that despite the Left Front government’s tall claims, poverty in the state had remained “quite acute”.
According to the Planning Commission, 36 per cent of the state’s population lives below the poverty line in comparison to the national average of 27.5 per cent. According to the state government, more than 66 per cent of the people of the state live below the poverty line, Narayanaswamy said.
He said the Centre had sanctioned funds liberally for poverty eradication and development but the “utilisation here is very poor”.
“Had the funds provided by Centre been properly used, the poverty level in the state would not have been so high. It clearly shows the failure of the Left Front government,” he said.
Narayanaswamy also alleged largescale irregularities in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, saying the funds were not being utilised properly in the state.
“We have reports that the Left Front has been indulging in petty politics in implementing the programme and depriving many genuinely poor families who owe allegiance to the Congress or other parties,” he said.
Narayanaswamy and his deputy, Sanjay Bafna, arrived here this morning. They were received by hundreds of Congress workers led by PCC president Surajit Dutta.
He later held a meeting of Congress leaders at the party headquarters and announced a new election schedule for the PCC.
“We have extended the membership drive by 15 days to ensure all leaders and workers can take part in the process and become members,” Narayanaswamy said, adding that the Congress would fight the ADC polls unitedly.
Responding to a query on the demand for separate state, Narayanaswamy said, “There is a state reorganisation committee at the central level headed by Pranab Mukherjee. The party that raises such a demand should approach that committee.”
