Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally of party workers at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Tuesday morning. He highlighted the achievements of the central government and appealed the people to support Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls. “The UPA Government at the Centre, in the past ten years, implemented several policies and programmes for the welfare of the people. MNREGA – the biggest employment guarantee scheme in the world- ensures a minimum of 100 days jobs to our rural masses, without any discrimination”, said the Congress leader.

1. Camp: Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
Time: 1 pm
Date: 25th
March, 2014
Rahul Gandhi at West Bengal: Only a Congress government can ensure development
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally of party workers at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Tuesday morning. He
highlighted the achievements of the central government and appealed the people to support Congress in the upcoming Lok
Sabha Polls. “The UPA Government at the Centre, in the past ten years, implemented several policies and programmes for the
welfare of the people. MNREGA – the biggest employment guarantee scheme in the world- ensures a minimum of 100 days jobs
to our rural masses, without any discrimination”, said the Congress leader.
Referring Centre’s flagship RTI Act, Rahul Gandhi said, “Earlier all policy decisions were used to take behind closed doors by
some bureaucrats and ministers and people normally get no idea. But, today, any citizen can get information regarding
government functioning after we implemented Right to Information Act. It entitles every person to gather information on any
administrative matters. Similarly we also granted rights to food through the Food Security Bill. Every poor in our country is
guaranteed to get food grains”.
“The farmers in our country shed their sweat and blood in their lands but one day governments grab their lands without giving
proper compensation. The old Land Bill, which was made by British, was not able to solve this menace. But now, the new revised
Land Acquisition Bill prevents all such acts and the farmers are ensured with proper and adequate compensation for the lands
acquired and it prevents any forcible land acquisition” informed the Congress Vice President. “Our efforts have been to build a
strong floor, based on their rights, under the feet of the poor so that they feel their role in nation building” underlined Rahul
Gandhi.
Slamming the present TMC government in the state, the Congress leader continued, “We send huge funds for education, health
and roads to West Bengal also; we are sending more funds to Bengal than any other states. But those funds are not being used
properly here. I just could see myself the pathetic conditions of the gutter-filled roads here. It is the people who suffer due to
this; they face difficulties if they are not able to get proper health, education and road facilities. We send crores of rupees for
Bengal’s development. This is your money and not of any minister or MLA. The sad fact is that the funds do reach Kolkata but do
not reach the people. We need to change this. Your money must reach you”.
“Earlier you were under Communist regime. Communism is a failed ideology. The Russia rejected it, China changed it. I feel
happy that the people of Bengal also threw it out from the state. There was a hope that you will have a new government that
will fight for the people and improve the situation in the fields of education, health, employment generation, universities and
roads. But unfortunately experience disappointed us. The present TMC government also followed the same footsteps of

2. Communists. They had opposed the Left but followed the same principles” said Rahul Gandhi amidst loud cheers from the
gathering.
“Now, it is sure, that only one government can transform the system. Only one government can improve the conditions of
education, health and infrastructure and that is a Congress government” said the Congress campaign head and urged the people
to elect Congress candidates for proper development of West Bengal.
Full text of the speech by Rahul Gandhi addressing Congress workers at Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
The UPA Government at the Centre, in the past ten years, implemented several policies and programmes for the welfare of the
people. MNREGA – the biggest employment guarantee scheme in the world- ensures a minimum of 100 days jobs to our rural
masses, without any discrimination.
Earlier all policy decisions were used to take behind closed doors by some bureaucrats and ministers and people normally get no
idea. But, today, any citizen can get information regarding government functioning after we implemented Right to Information
Act. It entitles every person to gather information on any administrative matters. Similarly we also granted rights to food
through the Food Security Bill. Every poor in our country is guaranteed to get food grains.
The farmers in our country shed their sweat and blood in their lands but on one day governments grab their lands from their
hands without giving proper compensation. The old Land Bill which was made earlier by British was not able to solve this
menace. But now, the new revised Land Acquisition Bill prevents all such acts and the farmers are ensured with proper and
adequate compensation for the lands acquired and it prevents any forcible land acquisition.
Our efforts have been to build a strong floor, based on their rights, under the feet of the poor so that they feel their role in
nation building. We also want to take necessary measures to ensure the rights of the people working in tea gardens here.
Wherever I go, I do talk about the necessity of empowering our women and the youth. We talk about India becoming a super
power. But if we want to make our country really a super power, we must empower our women properly. The women
reservation Bill which grants 33% reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies are still pending as the opposition did not
allow its passage. It was the Congress that granted 50% reservation for women in Pachayats and we want to do the same in
Parliament and assemblies too.
The new industrial-freight corridor including Delhi-Kolkata will generate millions of jobs for our youth. We also focussed on
improving education across the country. We send huge funds for education, health and roads to West Bengal also; we are
sending more funds to Bengal than any other states. But those funds are not being used properly here. I just could see myself
the pathetic conditions of the gutter-filled roads here. It is the people who suffer due to this; they face difficulties if they are not
able to get proper health, education and road facilities. We send crores of rupees for Bengal’s development. This is your money

3. and not of any minister or MLA. The sad fact is that the funds do reach Kolkata but do not reach the people. We need to change
this. Your money must reach you. The funds sent for roads should not be pocked by contractors and others.
Bengal gave this country a lot. It gave us legendaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose and Amartya Sen. But the
state is not achieving the required growth. The people are not getting adequate help, support and assistance from the state
government, since long. Earlier you were under Communist regime. Communism is a failed ideology. The Russia rejected it,
China changed it. I feel happy that the people of Bengal also threw it out from the state.
There was a hope that you will have a new government that will fight for the people and improve the situation in the fields of
education, health, employment generation, universities and roads. But unfortunately experience disappointed us. The new TMC
government also followed the same footsteps of Communists. They had opposed the Left but followed the same principles.
Now, it is sure, that only one government can transform the system. Only one government can improve the conditions of
education, health and infrastructure and that is a Congress government. SO, I appeal to all of you to support Congress and elect
a Congress MP from here so that we will fight for people’s rights and Bengal’s development. We will ensure Bengal adequate
electricity, proper water and sufficient health care facilities.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.