May-June 2010

Dear Friends,

I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and all our UPA allies for successfully completing one year in office. The UPA has worked hard to fulfill the strong mandate to govern it received from the people in 2009. Since then, the synergy between the government and the Congress Party has enabled us to cover much ground with regard to the promises made in our election manifesto. We are determined to continue with our goal of inclusive development through our tenure in office. While consistent high rates of growth are a necessity, it is only by ensuring that the largest number of people benefit from high growth will India strengthen itself internally and externally.

During the past one year, the government has already passed some landmark legislation. Chief amongst these has been the Right to Education Bill and the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. We are also currently debating the Right to Food Bill and hope to pass it in the coming sessions. Apart from this, the government is keenly monitoring and implementing all the social development programmes that were initiated under the last UPA government such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Right to Information. Transparency and good governance remain the defining features of our government. The States and the Centre must work together to ensure that the people of the country benefit from all such social development schemes.

The Congress Party has launched mass contact programme in the country with special attention being paid to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Our workers must concentrate on reaching out to the people especially in rural and remote parts of the country so that the Congress Party's focus on the common man genuinely addresses their needs. It is the duty of our party workers to ensure that all schemes promulgated by the UPA government at the Centre are fully implemented at the grass roots. Our workers can become the vehicles for the success of all our social development programmes. They must create awareness of the many rights such as Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. The Right to Information and the Right to Education, that have become law. They should also monitor the implementation of these programmes at the village and grass roots level and take the lead in exposing any loopholes or corruption that can mar the impact of these programmes.

It is that time of the year again when all of us look forward to a good monsoon. The initial trends seem to be encouraging and we are all hoping that the rains would come not only in adequate quantity but will also come at the right time which is so much needed by our kissans.


Sonia Gandhi