Congress leader Deepa Dasmunshi blames BJP for Jharkhand's non-development

RANCHI: Rebuffing BJP's allegations that Congress was responsible for Jharkhand's "non-development", the party today said if BJP had utilised central funds properly, the state would have developed.

"BJP had ruled Jharkhand for nine out of 14 years, and the previous UPA government at the Centre had sent funds under the heads of several welfare projects like housing, bus stand, Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan and drainage system but the BJP governments did not know how to utilise them and funds had been surrendered," former union minister and Congress leader Deepa Dasmunshi said here.

In their election campaigns, both central and state BJP leaders had blamed the Congress for Jharkhand's non-development and for its support to former chief minister Madhu Koda that led to "corruption" in the state.

"When Jharkhand was created, only two districts were affected by the Maoists and now it's all over the state. Why? Because of non-development," said Dasmunshi, who is campaigning in Jharkhand ahead of the December 9 third phase polling.

The erstwhile UPA government's policy, she said, was to root out Left Wing Extremism through dialogue and development.

"Had the funds been utilised properly by BJP governments, Jharkhand would have developed," she said.

She, however, handed over the responsibility to PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat to reply to a query on the break up of the Congress-JMM alliance to which Bhagat said that Congress only followed its policies.