After pulling up States for not properly implementing Central schemes, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has now trained his gun towards his own Cabinet colleague, Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Jairam, who as a member of the Election Coordination Com mittee headed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi plays an important role in formulating party’s strategy for the lok Sabha polls, has written a letter to Chida
mbaram expressing regret over the latter not properly implementing the announcement he had made for the poor in his Budget speech of 2008.
Reminding Chidambaram that while increasing subsidy for Indira Awas Yojna he had also said that beneficiaries will be getting Differential Rate of Interest loan of Rs 20,000 at 4 percent, Ramesh lamented that public sector banks have performed dismally in providing the loan to poor people, sources told The Pioneer.
He said that a review of the scheme in 2012-13 has revealed that of the 30 lakh houses constructed under the IAY, only 50,000 beneficiaries got this differential interest loan. Significantly, 35,000 of these beneficiaries were in BJP-ruled Gujarat while 3,000 in AIADMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, he said.
Pointing out the importance the Government attaches to the pro-poor IAY under which Rs 70,000 is given to BPl families for construction of house in plain areas and Rs 75,000 in hilly areas, Ramesh urged Chidambaram to instruct Public Sector Banks to liberally give loans to poor people especially in lesser developed BIMARU States, sources said.
The letter has been sent at a time when the Congress is trying hard to get maximum electoral mileage by highlighting the achievements in various development projects and IAY is an important scheme of the UPA Government’s flagship programme Bharat Nirman Yojna.
Ramesh, who has taken a lead role in formulating the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for which he has even coined the slogan ‘Apka paisa aapke hath’, wants that the IAY which comes under his ministry could be showcased as a major achievement of his ministry.
“And for this, he has not hesitated from even locking horns with a senior and powerful Minister like Chidambaram. Now it remains to be seen how the Finance Minister reacts to the letter,” sources said.