http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/After_Taj_Mayawati_asks_for_the_moon/articleshow/2222107.cms
After Taj, Mayawati asks for the moon 21 Jul, 2007, 0155 hrs IST, TNN NEW DELHI: Losing no time after the presidential elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati presented a Rs 80,000-crore special package for her state to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday. The fact that not even 24 hours had lapsed between the conclusion of the presidential election, where the Bahujan Samaj Party had supported the UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil, could mean that a special package for Uttar Pradesh was part of the quid pro quo deal struck between the BSP supremo and Congress president. Mayawati's package is not just plain and simple economic package for the state, she has sought Rs 23,800 crore specifically for programmes targeted at Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the poor among the upper caste. This is a social grouping that the BSP supremo has tried to attract to her party and she is seeking to further consolidate it through targeted efforts. Apprising the prime minister of the economic backwardness of Uttar Pradesh, the state chief minister said that her government had resolved to end goonda and mafia raj in the state, to alleviate poverty. Ms Mayawati said her aim to make Uttar Pradesh fear free, development oriented and corruption free. Pinpointing the major areas of concern, Mayawati said that that low literacy rate, lack of healthcare and low investment were on the top of the list. Stressing on the backwardness of state—Ms Mayawati said that the separation of Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh has impacted industrial investment in the state, as special concessions to Uttarkhand made it more attractive to industry. The chief minister has sought that Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand, two backward regions in the state be given the same concessions as Uttarakhand. The BSP president has sought Rs 9,400 crore and Rs 4,700 crore separately for developing infrastructure in most backward regions of the state — Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. For Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand, the chief minister said, special economic package was required for these regions as the state did not have enough resources to break the "vicious circle of poverty" and ensure all round development. "Therefore, I requested the Prime Minister to provide "Special Area Incentive Package" to the industries to be set up in the two region on line with economic package announced for Uttarakhand so that the regional imbalances could be removed and the process of development was accelerated," she said. Under this package, the Chief Minister said she sought exemption from central excise duty for 10 years, 100 % exemption from income tax during the first ten years and 30% exemption for the succeeding five years and 15% subsidy on capital investment up to Rs 30 lakh. Ms Mayawati said given that the central government had set a target of 10% growth for the Eleventh Plan period, states like Uttar Pradesh would require special assistance so that they could be brought at par with other developed states. The chief Minister sought Rs 22,000 crore for providing employment in farming and other sectors, Rs 6,500 crore for rural development and Rs 13,300 crore for other important proposals for the integrated development of the state. Apprising the prime minister on the plight of SC/ST/OBCs and religious minorities, she sought a Rs 23,800 crore special assistance to bring these people to the mainstream. Mayawati said such an amount was needed to develop adequate infrastructure and health facilities, literacy rate and enhance capital investment in different areas of the economy which are the main causes behind the state's backwardness. The chief minister said that though she wrote a letter to the prime minister in this regard two days back, today she personally apprised him about the whole situation. -- Subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a BLANK email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
