Shillong, March 5 (IANS) The central government has given a special grant of Rs.3,900 crore to Meghalaya in the 2010-11 budget for the state's development, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said here Friday.

'The union government, led by the Congress, is dedicated towards the overall development of Meghalaya and hence, Rs.3,900 crore has been allotted as a special grant to the state,' she said in her address at a public rally here to commemorate 125 years of her party's foundation. Chief Minister D.D. Lapang and union Minister of State for Water Resources, Vincent H Pala were also present at the rally.

The Congress chief, however, also noted public expenditure should be made visible to the people in the form of development.

Terming the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 the first significant achievement of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Gandhi called upon the people to 'seek answers from the government' through this act.

Stating that her party is committed towards bringing economic and social change, the UPA chairperson said it is conscious of its duties and will strive hard to fulfil the people's aspirations. She also stressed that the country's economic growth largely depends on the development of the north east.

Sonia, who also laid the foundation stone of the new Congress office named after her late husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, said: 'The Congress is the only party which gets support from all sections of society.'

She also said that the Congress does not believe in divisive politics and sees 'politics as an instrument of service'.

The Congress chief also visited Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Culture, said to be one of the largest museums in Asia.