Monday, August 29 2005 13:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Congress, which is under pressure from the Left parties and other United Progressive Alliance partners on economic policies and key issues, yesterday(August 28, 2005) said that despite compulsions of coalition politics in the running of the Central Government, it had been able to push through its own policies and programmes and thereby proving the critics wrong.

"This is for the first time Congress is leading a coalition government at the Centre. And many had expressed doubts whether Congress would be able to push through its policies and programme since it was running a coalition government at the Centre. But their perception had been proved wrong", the Defence Minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said here addressing a meeting of the student's wing of WBPCC.

To drive home the point, Mukherjee gave full credit to the Congress for the landmark National Rural Employment Guarantee legislation.

"We have fulfilled a key manifesto pledge. This was not in any other party's manifesto", he said.

Mukherjee added that the legislation was possible under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"This silent revolution (on employment generation) has come without the need of a 'Long March' or blood-shed or 'Revolution", he said without making any reference to the Left party allies.

He said the repeal of the "draconian" law POTA, amendment to the Hindu Succession Act and Protection from Domestic Violence Act were testimony of Congress policies and priorities.

Mukherjee said the operation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act would enable 100 days work in an year to each member of every family out of the 16 crore families in the country. Those who could not be given work under the Act would be given unemployment allowance, he said. He asked the state Congress workers to visit door-to-door in rural areas to explain the benefits to be accrued from the scheme.

"Many people were still not aware of the benefits to be accrued from the scheme. Congress workers should go to villages and explain to the rural people", he said.

Noting that Congress in West Bengal need to regain its lost glory, Mukherjee, who is the President of the state Congress said, "after ruling the state from 1952 to 1967 and again from 1972 to 77, the Congress was out of power for a prolong period in the state".

"We are out of power for long in the state. It is natural that a frustration has set in among the Congress workers", he said and added that party should gear up to usher in a change in the next year's polls. He said youths which form a formidable force in the party could play a major role in this direction.

He said "Congress leaders and workers in the state should highlight the law and order situation in West Bengal and closure of factories while building up a mass movement.