Central funds for UP siphoned off: Rahul

Central funds given for Uttar Pradesh's development were being siphoned off, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Saturday.

"Though the Congress is not in power in UP, but the United Progressive Alliance government is allocating maximum funds to the state for developmental work as compared to other states," Rahul, who is on a two-day tour to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, said during a meeting with party workers.

The Centre gave packages of several crores of rupees to the state under various development schemes including the MNREGS and Prime Minister Rural Road scheme, he said and charged that "the state government has failed to utilise the fund properly". "While people are not getting benefit of these schemes, funds are being siphoned off," he said.

He added that other than various developmental projects, the prime minister had sanctioned a special package of several thousand crore rupees for Bundelkhand region.

"Other than money for development of districts, the UPA government has also allocated funds for upliftment of poor and backwards. Unfortunately this money is not reaching the real beneficiaries," Rahul said.