LUCKNOW: Ahead of the state assembly elections, UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday laid foundation of 160 development projects worth Rs 1,500 crore on the occasion of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar 's Mahaparinirvan (death anniversary) diwas. While invoking Ambedkar, she reminded Dalits that their ultimate aim should be to form government at the Centre.

The projects announced by Mayawati include several related to drinking water and electricity supply worth Rs 267 crore for the Bundelkhand region comprising of seven districts. While Rs 179 crore have been marked for Chitrakoot, Jhansi has been given Rs 42 crore and Mahoba Rs 14 crore. The projects will provide benefit to the people in the other four districts as well. For other parts of the state, Rs 1233 crore has been set aside for development projects.

Mayawati's announcement assumes importance in the light of recent visit of deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia to Jhansi to review progress of Rs 7263 crore development project for Bundelkhand (regions in UP and Madhya Pradesh included) sanctioned by the Congress led UPA government at the Centre. He had expressed dissatisfaction over the progress of work in UP.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is expected to take up the neglect of Bundelkhand development to attack Mayawati during his second phase of poll campaign starting next week. Maya had rebutted allegations of tardy development work progress in Bundelkhand and accused Centre for not releasing special package of Rs 80,000 crore she had asked for the Bundelkhand and East UP. Now, by announcing projects for Bundelkhand, what she claimed has been done from 'limited state resources', she has tried to counter Congress's attack in the run up to assembly elections due in April 2012.

Mayawati made announcements after paying tribute to Ambedkar. While addressing hundreds of party workers assembled at Smajik Prerna Sthal, a memorial built for Dalit icons in Lucknow, Maya lashed out at Opposition parties for targeting her party leaders through media over the corruption issue and exhorted her supporters to give a befitting reply to rivals by ensuring the victory of BSP in the coming assembly polls.

Mayawati said Opposition parties were constantly attacking her party and its leaders on petty issues because they have no other issues to talk about.

"With only some time left for the assembly polls, Opposition have lost their sleep," she said. Describing rival parties as anti-Dalit, she said that none of them gave due honour to dalit saints and leaders and created hurdles in construction of Dalit memorials in UP by her government.

She also said that only BSP is taking forward the work started by Babasaheb to uplift and empower Dalits and marginalised sections of the society. However, she added, despite working relentlessly for the cause for last two decades, still a lot has to be done for the masses suppressed since ages. She claimed that her government has been working for poor in all castes and communities, particularly Dalits, backwards, muslims and poor among upper castes.

Exhibiting her prime ministerial ambition again, Mayawati said "Babasaheb struggled to provide Dalits rights in the Constitution to bring them at par with other sections of society and now we have to take his mission to all the corners of the country". She implored that Dalits to keep in mind that they not only have to ensure BSP's victory in UP but also have to capture power in Delhi.