Rae Bareli (TIP): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on December 4 expressed dismay on learning that several schemes launched by the UPA government had been abandoned. Taking strong note of complaints by villagers that work under Central government schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) had stopped. “How did this happen,” Sonia asked, adding she would inquire about it.

Congress sources and officials accompanying her said Sonia was apprised about the poor status of NREGS, old age pension scheme and Indira Awas Yojana in Gosain ka purwa village where a group of men and women surrounded her and alleged that the schemes were largely unimplemented for more than two months. Making detours and impromptu visits, Sonia went from one house to another, met families, and tried to understand their problems. Emerging from Fursatganj airport at around 10.30am, she went straight to Malin-Ka-Purwa village which has a Dalit majority. She was told by a group of women that self-help groups constituted during UPA regime had been disbanded.

However, she also faced embarrassment when at least 12 teachers from state-run Kasturba Gandhi school squatted in front of her vehicle demanding release of salaries. The incident took place right on the premises of the collectorate where the Congress president had arrived for a meeting of district coordination committee in her parliamentary constituency, Rae Bareli. The teachers waited from more than an hour to meet Sonia and as she walked towards an SUV after the meeting, the teachers blocked the cavalcade. It was only after Sonia got down and heard them out that the teachers left.