CM in Bundelkhand: Akhilesh pats own back and lists out projects, asks what has Rahul given

Mayawati’s BSP, he alleged, “used to construct dam on papers”.

Akhilesh then listed his government’s achievements while asking villagers of Chownk in Jalaun “which other CM before me had visited the region”. “Tell me how many chief ministers have visited this place? Bundelkhand has been our priority and will remain so. I have worked on all fronts —- power production, water availability, relief during natural calamities. No other government has helped (the region) so much. Today, Bundelkhand is the largest power-producing area in the state,” he claimed.

In Kadaura village, he admitted that supply of power was the “main issue”. “…but it will be soon taken care of, cities will get 22-24 hours of supply while villages will get 16 hours of power. We are setting up power sub-stations,” he said.

The CM was peeved at recent insinuations that his party was “not concerned” about Bundelkhand after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s much-hyped visit last week to the region’s Mahoba district became a talking point among villagers and in the media.
“What did he (Rahul) give during his visit? I visited and gave something to the region (the CM had laid the foundation stone for a solar power plant at his first stop in Jalaun’s Shahjahanpur village). Don’t say that my visit came after the Congress leader’s visit. It (my visit) was planned much earlier. Chief Secretary (Alok Ranjan) had visited and spent a whole night (on January 13).” Rahul, accompanied by party supporters, had taken out a padyatra on January 23.

“I have cleared the project (solar power plant) and provided the land. Now it is up to the central government to clear things,” he said.
Leaving his chopper behind in Jalaun, Akhilesh continued on his road trip to Hamirpur. The nearly 50-kilometre four lane road, which was inaugurated by him, became his path on which he stopped on nearly 10 occasions. At one of them, he stopped to ask a villager how much time does it now take to travel the entire stretch. “Five hours (it used to take) but now only one hour,” replied the villager. “Just see who is doing the development,” the CM remarked.

At one of the gatherings, he remarked: “Don’t worry, I will bring more funds even if it requires some adjustment from other allocations in next budget. For Bundelkhand, there will be no shortage of funds.”

PWD and Irrigation Minister Shivpal Yadav, who accompanied the CM, claimed that in the next 10 months (time left before the assembly elections next year), Bundelkhand will not face any water crisis. “We are doing it on our own. The central government has not given a single rupee. We are completing the project from the state fund,” he claimed.