Congress President Sonia Gandhi [Images], on Friday, attacked the previous National Democratic Alliance government for declining agricultural growth rates.

"We face a special challenge in reversing declining agricultural growth rates during the period of the NDA government," she told the Congress Chief Ministers conclave in Chandigarh.

Sonia cautioned that unless the declining agricultural growth rate is reversed, the Centre would not be able to provide for the well-being of millions of rural poor or support efforts in infrastructure, industry and services.

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She said an overwhelming number of states need to improve their fiscal positions. "The Congress states are in a position to take a lead in this," she said.

Sonia asked the chief ministers to look at new initiatives and opportunities to bring about a radical change in the way development schemes and programmes are implemented.

She asked the chief ministers to pay personal attention to the local self-government bodies. "Local self-government bodies deserve to be looked at as institutions of governance and not just through the prism of elections," she said.