UPA scores just 30 percent marks in 'people's report'

May 24, 2007, 13:00 GMT

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which completed three years this week, has patted itself on its back for its achievements, but a report based on a nationwide survey among 500 NGOs gives it only 30 percent marks.

On its third anniversary Tuesday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government boasted of its massive public investments in the social sector, but the People's Report - compiled by the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (the don't-break-the-promises campaign) and released here Thursday - said the coalition had 'violated' the mandate people had given it.

The Abhiyan has been closely monitoring the government's performance and the implementation of the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), the coalition allies' agenda for governance, since this government came to power in 2004.

'Nothing has changed. People continue to be angry and discontent,' said Amitabh Behar, convenor of the campaign. 'It is evident that our insensitive government needs not only engagement but also agitational politics and street action to keep its promises,' he added.

The report, based on a survey among 500 grassroots and development organisations across 20 states and released by danseuse Geeta Chandran along with 20 children some of whom do not attend schools, pointed out that the UPA government has failed to allocate six percent of the GDP on education.

'The current allocation of about three percent of the GDP is less than the allocations made in 1985, which stood at four percent.'

While admitting that the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme, which ensures 100 days of employment for one able bodied member of every rural family - had generated some employment, the report said the 200 additional districts brought under the plan were given only Rs.8 billion compared to the Rs.110 billion given for the first 200 districts.

Criticising the implementation of the NREG scheme, it said: 'Even after the procurement of receipt for the application of work, work has not been made available in many instances. There appears to be a lack of transparency in the allocation of work.'

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service