Sonia calls upon women to strengthen panchayats

RAE BARELI - Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday called upon the women panchayat representatives to perform their duties sincerely as a major responsibility for the development of villages rests on their shoulders.

“Women representatives have a significant role to play in the development of villages. Considering this, they should make every effort for strengthening the village panchayats,” Gandhi told participants of a Panchayati Raj function here.

“Taking into account the social hurdles, it is definitely challenging for the women representatives to shoulder their responsibilities and perform their duties. But if they work seriously, the public would definitely support them,” she added.

Gandhi said that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has taken several steps for the development of villages and women folk.

“With several of the schemes started by the central government, women in villages have become self-reliant and independent,” said Gandhi, who sought assistance from panchayat representatives to ensure proper delivery of the central government schemes among the masses.

Earlier Saturday, Gandhi was flooded with public complaints when hundreds of people in Rae Bareli, her parliamentary constituency, discussed their grievances with her, a party official said.

“Around 1,000 people met Sonia Gandhi with their complaints and problems,” Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh told reporters. The meeting took place at the Bhuemau guest house for three hours.

“Majority of those who met the Congress president had complaints related to civic issues, particularly bad roads, erratic power supply and inadequate arrangements for drinking water,” he said.

Many youths also met her seeking employment generation in rural areas of the constituency and other parts of the state, he added.

“The Congress president gave a patient hearing to the people and assured them of taking adequate steps to sort out their problems,” Singh added.

Gandhi later inaugurated a health camp at the Government Inter College.

Sonia Gandhi arrived here Friday on a two-day tour.