NREGA will work only when states implement it: Rahul

October 15th, 2009 RANCHI - The United Progressive Alliance government's job guarantee programme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) may be pro-poor but will work only if state governments implement it well, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Thursday. "In Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and many other states it is implemented well and there are others where it's not.

September 9th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi will constitute teams of and train youths in Punjab to supervise proper implementation of the central government's schemes and to curb corruption. The Youth Congress in Punjab, to which Gandhi has given special attention over the last one year and made it a model state for Youth Congress elections, is all set to launch his brainchild project 'Aam Admi Ka Sipahi' (AAKS - soldier of the common man) in the coming days.

September 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Urging state governments not to "fail the poor", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said the country had still to realise the full potential of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) whose implementation had been uneven across states. We still have miles to go before we achieve the full potential of this unique legislation in annals of recent history.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The new government will strengthen the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) by enlarging the scope of works permitted under it, President Pratibha Patil announced Thursday. The current scheme is only for unskilled manual work.

May 3rd, 2009 JAIPUR - Congress general secretary Sunday talked about the development projects initiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to woo voters at a rally in Barmer district of Rajasthan. While castigating the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'India Shining' slogan in the last polls, Rahul said: 'They had India Shining ideology, which was different from us.

April 27th, 2009 BARABANKI - A 'giant elephant' in Lucknow was eating away all the money that the central government was giving for the development of Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Monday while launching a blistering attack against Chief Minister Mayawati. In an obvious reference to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and its poll symbol, the elephant, Rahul Gandhi said: 'We (the Congress government at the centre) have given Rs.165 crore.

April 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With five days to go for the third phase of India's general elections, the Congress and the Left got into a war of words Saturday while Arun Jaitley became the second Bharatiya Janata Party leader to endorse Narendra Modi as a prime ministerial candidate in the future. In Kolkata, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi criticised the performance of the Left Front government of West Bengal but said at the same time that after the polls, there could be discussions with the Left parties on forming the next government, which would be conducted by his party's 'senior leaders'.

April 25th, 2009 KOLKATA - Asserting that the Left has failed to deliver the benefits of development to the poor in West Bengal, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here Saturday that the Communist parties do not have the right ideas for growth. 'It is nice for the Left to comment on Mamataji, but the fact is the Left does not have right ideas for growth,' Gandhi said at a press conference, referring to the Left's remarks that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was 'anti-development'.

April 25th, 2009 KOLKATA - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Saturday said he was not ready to be prime minister yet and added that the issue of post-poll alliances would be decided by 'senior leaders' of his party after the Lok Sabha elections. 'I would refuse (the prime minister's post)...for two reasons.

April 24th, 2009 BANKURA - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal's ruling Communists, accusing them of failing to provide basic amenities and of being buried in the past. 'The Communist government says it works for the poor.

April 24th, 2009 PURULIA - Launching a blistering attack on the Left Front government, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday accused it of failing to provide basic facilities like health and education and not utilising central funds for welfare schemes. 'We have sent money for you from Delhi for implementing welfare programmes.

April 15th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal Wednesday hit back at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for saying that the benefits of various schemes, launched by central government for poor people, were not reaching the people of Punjab because of widespread corruption in the state. 'Rahul Gandhi himself does not know anything about the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) or any such scheme, so how can he give such statements? He is very far away from the ground reality of the situation.

March 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With Varun Gandhi's alleged communal tirade fetching him unprecedented publicity, some leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can't stop comparing him with his more famous cousin Rahul Gandhi. 'Let's send the hard-hitting Varun after Rahul,' quipped one at the party office, even though the BJP has officially distanced itself from Varun's alleged hate speech against Muslims in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

February 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Monday said the interim budget has completely ignored the interests of the common man and benefited the industrialists. 'The budget offers nothing for common people.

February 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Sunday said dominance of money power and nepotism was obstructing the entry of youth in politics. 'The youth want to join politics but don't know the way.