The BJP-led Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to achieve most of the claims made by the BJP leaders before the parliamentary elections. Crores of rupees have been spent on foreign tours by the Prime Minister while the promised number of jobs and other developments have not been achieved yet, said former Union Minister of State and Congress leader Jitendra Singh here on Thursday.
Addressing the media persons in the Congress Bhawan during the meet of PCC office bearers and heads of the party’s frontal organisations here, the former Union minister of state lambasted the Central Government for its failure to meet the developmental targets set in various spheres before its election to office. He said, “The BJP had claimed that its government would facilitate employment for two crore persons per year but in its two years in office, the Central Government has provided job to about 1.34 lakh persons only.
During the term of the Congress led UPA Government at the Centre, the nation’s total land area being used for agriculture was about 1250 lakh hectare which dropped to 1200 lakh hectare. Even in MNREGA, the Modi Government has not been able to achieve much. The Made in India project touted by the Centre has had limited success as exemplified in the Rafael fighter jet deal. Under the UPA’s proposed deal for procuring the Rafael fighter jets from France some of the fighter jets would have been manufactured in industrial plants that would be established in India.
However, the NDA Government has altered the deal which will now entail purchase of only 36 jets which will be manufactured in France and not in India-as should have been under the Made In India programme,” said Singh. Referring to the Digital India campaign, he said that it already being implemented as part of three schemes of the UPA Government-the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), National Knowledge Network (NKN) and the e-governance initiatives. Singh further said, “Compared to the international rates for crude oil during the UPA Government’s term, there has been a drop of about 50 to 55 per cent in the international crude rates but there has been no such corresponding relief for the people.
Considering the drop in international crude price, at present diesel should be costing Rs25 per litre with petrol costing Rs32 per litre. The Prime Minister has spent about Rs600 crore on his foreign trips so far with Air India alone incurring a bill of about Rs300 crore.
The UPA Government’s foreign policy had succeeded in creating a global environment wherein Pakistan was getting isolated in the international community with various countries abstaining from selling weapons to Pakistan. During the two years of the present Government’s term, America is supplying one of its top fighter jets- F-16 to Pakistan while India’s traditional supporter Russia will be selling its Mi-35 attack helicopters to Pakistan.”
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that farmers, workers and businessmen are suffering from effects of the current Government’s policies. He said, “The Central Government has slashed budgetary allocations under important schemes which were fully centrally funded.
Numerous SC/ST youngsters eligible for scholarships have not yet received their scholarships due to budgetary cuts. The budgetary allocation made for potable water related works under the UPA has been slashed by about 60 per cent by the present Government at the Centre,” said the CM. Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay and the party’s State co in charge Sanjay Kapoor also expressed their views on the occasion.