In a scathing rebuttal of the State BJP leaders pointing accusing fingers at Chief Minister Harish Rawat over the mystery of missing disaster relief funds to the tune of over `1,500 crore, Chief Minister media in-charge Surendra Kumar dubbed the saffron leaders as infantile babblers who are adept in painting some people black on purely childish whims. “Besides, it seems the saffron leaders have scant knowledge of English which is why they fail to understand the crux of the letter sent Central Niti Ayog. Had they comprehended they would not have cried wolf of the non-existent embezzlement of the disaster relief fund worth over Rs1509 crore,” he said. To vindicate his stance, he also circulated a copy of Niti Ayog missive dated September 3, 2015. But, observers say what he sought to highlight was not clear enough in the document he presented for the media’s enlightenment .
The letter he cited mentions that the funds allocated under SPA (reconstruction) for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 had been recommended for the release. Kumar seemed to have explained the shortfall between the funds provided and those received by the State government in terms of the promised funds not finally received. “But things are murky. The CM’s media in-charge should have cleared the thing of the cobwebs of statistical jugglery,” said an observer.