Speech

Sonia Gandhi Stresses Social Harmony & Amity

Smt. Sonia Gandhi’s speech on the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Thermal Power Plant at Kudathani in Bellary (Karnataka) on 2nd March, 2002

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi (centre), dressed in a Lambadi attire at the launch of the thermal power plant in Bellary, Karnataka. The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, is seen third from left.

I have visited this place many a time during the past three years. I may be anywhere but Bellary has a special place in my heart and I don’t have to tell you about it. I cannot forget the love and support you have given to me. It has always been my effort to protect your trust and to do my best for your progress and development.

The last time I had come to Bellary I had announced a special package for the development of Bellary district. There are about 18 special programmes in this package for your progress and benefit and the state government will spend about Rs. 3,300 crores to fulfil them. Such type of work has not been done before nor an effort had been made earlier. This is proof enough that the Congress party, I and Mr. S.M. Krishna have resolved to make life better for you all, by raising your standard of living and ensuring a better future for your coming generation.

Earlier today, the foundation stone has been layed for the Kudathini Power Project which will be run by the Power Corporation of Karnataka. This will help in giving more power to our farmers for irrigation purpose and in homes, it will help in setting up new industries and factories which will open up new employment avenues for our youth. The power that will be produced here will not only benefit the people of Bellary district but will also benefit other parts of the state.

I congratulate the Power Corporation of Karnataka for taking up the challenge of setting up new power stations in the state. It has been our effort to supply electricity at reasonable rates. Electricity is the basic requirement for progress. It is the duty of the government to arrange power for you and in return it is the duty of the citizens to understand their responsibility in the use of electricity and to make payments of your electricity bill on time. The non-payment of your bills can create problems for the government and can upset the set-up, no new power stations can come up which will only bring problems for the people and will bring loss to all.

For the development of this area we have implemented various programmes. For example, we want that the roads and bridges be repaired at the earliest. New roads and bridges are built in the villages of the district and Bellary-Hospet city and localities. You are aware that new projects have already started to bring water to the localities and the villages. We want that maximum benefits are shared by the farmers and their families from these developmental work. Therefore, the programmes have been speeded up for modernising the canals and roads, lift irrigation and ponds for irrigation.

I would like to tell my brothers and sisters of Bellary that I take personal interest in the developmental projects. New suggestions have also come in the fields of gardening, sericulture, dairy, textile industry, loans to women and their education. Bellary is famous for its jeans and is called its capital. Like Bangalore, which is famous for its IT Parks, Apparel Parks can be set-up here. I have asked the chief minister to give serious attention to such type of suggestions. I have also asked him to provide facilities which generate more and more employment opportunities for the youth. Lakhs of youth from this state are migrating to other states in search of employment and it is our duty to create more employment avenues so the youth find employment here itself and their worries are minimal.

The Congress party is the only organisation in the country which thinks about the welfare and progress of all sections of society and particularly for dalits, adivasis, backward, poor, minorities and women. The Congress is the only party which is accepted by all religions, castes, languages and states. The Congress is a party which respects all kinds of people in the Indian society and this quality is the source of our strength.

For the last two-and-a-half years there is a Congress government in Karnataka and during this period we worked in two ways. Firstly, we had to race against time to put the state back on the road to progress which had been slowed down by the previous Janata Dal government during their five-year rule. Secondly, we took this state to a new height in progress and development and today your state is on top in the matter of administration and progress and I would like to congratulate Mr. S.M. Krishna and his team for all this.

The Congress party governments are working for the welfare of the people and abide by the poll promises made and this is the thinking of all people throughout the country. And this is the reason that the Congress party has received the people’s mandate in the Assembly election. As you know there are Congress governments in eleven states and during the recent Assembly elections, we have emerged as the major party in Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur. I am confident that your support will keep growing and with the Lok Sabha elections there will be a Congress party government at the Centre too. I want to be with you for most of the time and I hope I shall find time to be with you again.

I want to say a few words about social unity of the country. I am very much aggrieved to see violence and hatred in Gujarat for the last three days. I express my sympathies to all those, whose families have been the victims of this communalism. Some families have been totally wiped out. Violence and hatred cannot produce any solution and nobody gets benefitted. We all should condemn those elements, which poison our society. It is necessary to check such brutal incidents at any cost.