Gujarat's 'development' touches select few: Manmohan Singh

Vansada: Faulting the BJP government in Gujarat for failing to sustain balanced growth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that the state's development had only benefited only a few.

Addressing an election rally, Manmohan Singh said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has proved to be incompetent. The fruits of development have not trickled down."

He said Gujarat could only claim to be a developed state today because of the industrialization policy of the Congress government in the 1970s.

The prime minister said that on the human development index, Gujarat was ranked 18th of the 20 main states in India.

"Gujarat's development is only for a few people, large sections are untouched by it. The state government has failed to balance development," he said.

The prime minister said that on the human development index, Gujarat was ranked 18th of the 20 main states in India.

"It is sad that 41 per cent of women in Gujarat are malnourished and 55 per cent in 15-50 years of age group are anaemic. A big chunk of children don't complete primary and upper primary education in rural Gujarat," he said.

He said Congress-ruled states were doing much better. "Central schemes like rural health mission, rural employment guarantee scheme and others have brought development in Congress-ruled states," the prime minister said.

Appealing to people to vote for the Congress, Manmohan Singh said: "The benefits of central government schemes are not reaching the people of Gujarat.

"We will ensure overall development of the state and implementation of central government schemes if the Congress is voted to power." Gujarat goes to the polls December 13 and 17. Results will be declared December 20.

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