Natural resources should be in peoples' hands: Sonia

Says it was her party's initiatives that had given rights to the tribals and the poor

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said natural resources of the country should be in the hands of the people for their development and it was her party's initiatives that had given rights to the tribals and the poor.

"Natural resources of the country should be with the people and not with the government," Gandhi said, adding it would help in the progress of the people.

It was Congress' initiatives that had given rights to the tribals, the poor, the dalits, the backward class and the minorities under the Land Acquisition Act but the BJP government at the Centre was now out to amend it, she said.

"We oppose any change in the act," she told a poll meeting held here in support of party's assembly candidate and Jharkhand Rural Development Minister K N Tripathy on the last date of campaigning for Daltonganj seat where election will be held in the first phase on November 25.

Claiming that it was the efforts and developmental schemes of the previous UPA regime that was now helping the nation in its march towards becoming one of the developed countries, she said, "the Congress has a great role in developing the nation."

Attacking BJP for Jharkhand's myriad problems, she said the people should tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned here two days ago, that it was BJP which had been in power for 11 out of 14 years since the state was formed but it remained entrenched in problems.

"When UPA government was at the Centre, crores of rupees were given to Jharkhand for implementation of programmes like electricity, roads, drinking water and health, but were not utilised by the state ruled by the BJP," she alleged.

"Neither did they (BJP) create employment opportunity... Jharkhand has 40 lakh BPL families. It is a cause for worry," Gandhi rued.

Daltonganj has been rechristened Medininagar, the headquarter town of Palamau, a decade ago but the Election Commission maintains Daltonganj as the assembly segment.