Congress not doing any good for people: Nagaland CM

Shillong, March 15 (IANS) The Congress was not doing any good for the people and the populist schemes launched by the outgoing UPA government were meant to "fool the people", Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said here Saturday.

"The Congress adopted the right to education realising that people need to learn and write only after they governed the country for 50 years, and realising that people are hungry and angry, they passed the food security bill," Rio said while launching the Lok Sabha campaign for United Democratic Party nominee Paul Lyngdoh for the Shillong seat.

The Nagaland chief minister is the chairman of the North East Regional Political Parties Front, an umbrella group of regional parties.

"I welcome the food security bill because the people are hungry. But I personally feel people want job security instead of food security. By having the job security bill, jobs would be created, people would get the opportunity to work, earn and eat," he said.

He lashed out at the outgoing Congress-led union government for not implementing the right policies to improve the living conditions of the tribals.

"Tribals and backward communities continue to remain backward because of the poor policies, but I am sure the Congress will not come to power and a new government which will assume power will frame policies to ensure that people get their benefits," he said.

Rio said the regional parties in the northeast need to make a collective effort to fight unitedly for the common cause of development.

"We need to work together so that our voice is heard in parliament," he said.