New Delhi : Under Congress rule Uttar Pradesh's growth rate was 4.8 percent and industrial growth 7.7 percent, but non-Congress governments have reduced its economy to a shambles, said Kapil Sibal, Congress media management convenor.

Mounting his party's aggressive criticism against Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party government in the state, Sibal, who is also the science and technology minister, said: "In the 1990s, the rate of economic growth as well as individual growth declined significantly to 3.2 percent and 3.6 percent respectively. The industrial growth in particular was much lower than the national average of 6.6 percent."

"Uttar Pradesh must return to its glorious past. Democracy, transparency, positive politics above caste and religion must be the foundation stone of a new era," he said Monday.

According to Sibal, Congress will seek votes for the development and bright future of the state.

Uttar Pradesh goes for seven-phase polls to the 403-member assembly from April 7-May 8.

The minister had more statistics to quote from the state's human development report.

"Uttar Pradesh's literacy rate of 57.4 percent is lower than the national average of 65.4 percent. The state has 20 middle and senior secondary schools and it lacks in every institutional category, be it medical colleges or engineering colleges," Sibal told reporters here.

He added that if India were to grow at 8 percent till 2020, the per capita income in the country would be $7,600. Goa's per capita income would be $29,000 - the same as Switzerland today, but in Uttar Pradesh it will be only $2,750, same that of Azerbaijan today.

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