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Help everyone progress Sonia tells partymen NT Staff Reporter Panaji Feb 22: The All India Congress Committee president and chairperson of United Progressive Alliance, Ms Sonia Gandhi has called upon Congressmen in the state to work unitedly for the development and progress of the state and country by keeping aside their personal interests. Addressing a huge rally of Congress workers from the state at Gymkhana grounds here, Ms Gandhi reminded the Congressmen that though politics has its own rules, personal interests should not overweigh interest of general public at large, and that politicians should follow the values and work for the upliftment of all people. The AICC president said that Congress leaders should adhere to the discipline of the party, which was somehow lacking among them. She went on to add that it was unfortunate that because of personal greed of some leaders the party had to pay a heavy price and had to yield power to divisive forces. She further said that Goa has been a heaven of communal harmony for ages, which was sought to be destroyed by the Bharatiya Janata Party during its short rule by dividing the people on communal lines. This attempt was an affront to the age old amity and brotherhood of Goans; she said adding that Goa can't be a place for communal divide. Ms Gandhi said that Goans reposed faith in the Congress and its secular credentials and brought it back to power, even as she went on to add that Congressmen should work together to keep away divisive forces from coming to power, even as she went on to add that Congress was committed to protecting and promoting distinct identity of Goans. The Congress workers should take the policies of the party and schemes of the government to the common man so that everybody progresses, she said adding that the Congress government in the state was giving top priority to industrialisation and further promoting agriculture as well as Information Technology and pharmaceutical industries. Referring to the challenges in running coalition governments, Ms Gandhi said that despite many hurdles the governments led by the Congress have taken bold decisions aimed at development of the states and country. She also said that most of points in the common minimum programme also figure in the manifesto of the Congress party. She also said that party leaders should promise only those things which they can fulfill adding: "Congress governments must be true to what has been mentioned in the election manifestoes and implement them." The AICC periodically reviews the promises made to people, she added. Listing the achievements of the UPA government at the Centre she said that the greatest achievement has been implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, enactment of Right to Information Act and changes in law giving equal rights to women in share of properties, protecting rights of children and women from domestic abuse. She also said that the Uttar Pradesh government has made huge allocation for poverty alleviation, and the biggest challenge before the government now was to see that the funds reach the needy people. Ms Gandhi complimented the GPCC president for organising the huge rally of Congress workers and called upon Congress workers to concentrate on issues affecting people directly by interacting with them and convey to them the party's policies and schemes and its achievements. If the Congress addresses the needs of the poor people no one can displace it from power, she added. She also complimented the party workers for their tireless efforts in keeping the party's flag flying high and added that the party has been coming to power because of their work. She also said that there has to be proper co-ordination between the party and the government for the benefit of the common man. Earlier delivering the welcome address, Mr Ravi Naik, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president listed the achievements of the party in the state. He also told the gathering about the contribution of Nehru-Gandhi family to the progress of the state and its liberation. He urged Congress workers to work for the common man. The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, told the gathering that Goa has made very good progress since it attained statehood and recalled that this was the same ground where the Goans had gathered to celebrate its statehood 19 years ago in the presence of the then prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi and Ms Sonia Gandhi. He recalled the promise made by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to maintain Goa's different and unique culture when Goa was liberated and commitment with which the Congress maintained it. He also said that communal forces made attempts to vitiate the long standing communal harmony in the state and divide the people on communal lines. He also said that no industry worth name came to the state during the Bharatiya Janata Party rule and Goa's development was pushed back by over four years when the saffron party was in power. Referring to the recent boycott of the state assembly by the BJP, he said that the party could well be dubbed as "Boycott" Janata Party. The AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa desk, urged the party workers to work and commitment to turn Goa into a heaven for common man. She also expressed hope that there would be more discipline among the party workers in the days to come. AICC general secretary, Mr Mukul Wasnik, and secretary, Mr Siddharth Patel were also present on the dais at the rally. Among those present were members of Parliament, Mr Shantaram Naik and Churchill Alemao, all the cabinet ministers from the state, and leading industrialists, Mr Srinivas Dempo, chairman of Dempo group of industries, and Mr Dattaraj Salgaonkar, managing director of Salgaocar group of industries. -- TUMCHER AXIRVAD ASSUM; DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England
