Hardoi (UP), Feb 14 (PTI) Blaming the BSP and Samajwadi Party for neglecting the plight of Bundelkhand, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said the Centre took the initiative and provided a Rs 8,000 crore package to the region despite it being the responsibility of the state government. "It was not the responsibility of the central government but since the UP government was not seen in Bundelkhand, a package of Rs 8,000 crore was provided...and it could have changed the entire area...the India Shining which the BJP talked about could have started", Gandhi said addressing an election meeting here. Referring to the Bundelkhand package, he said that the money which was sent for digging up wells and providing tractors were misused and the farmers who also invested their share for the wells faced losses. "The tractors were given to the sons of ministers... don't know what they are doing with it...running them in their sitting rooms", Gandhi said adding that when he raised these issues, Mayawati said Rahul Gandhi was enacting a drama. On the package for weavers, he said that they came to him and he took them to the planning commission and the prime minister took only two minutes and UPA, the government of the common people, provided a package. "This was not our work but that of Uttar Pradesh government, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav...we had not made any promises for Bundelkhand and weavers in 2004 and 2009 but when they came to us we worked for them", Rahul said. Reiterating that he has not come here to ask for votes, Rahul Gandhi said the real power is in the hands of the people but regretted that the governments in the state were wasting their strength and knowledge and not giving them due respect.
