Terming the Investors’ Summit in Lucknow as a waste of public money, Rashtriya Lok Dal vice-president Wasim Haider said that the BJP government spent about Rs 2.5 crore on the decoration of the venue where industrialists converged during the programme. He demanded a CBI probe into the plunder of public money and asked the BJP government to make public the expenses incurred on the function.
“The fact is that Rs 65 lakh were spent on the decoration and the remaining Rs 1.5 crore were siphoned off. This is small example of a scam that hit the state and has exposed the BJP’s claim of being a crusader against corruption. In the state-sponsored programme, the BJP government spent several lakh rupees on arrangements for guests, campaign and other counts,” Haider pointed out.
The RLD leader further charged that several firms, in the good books of political leaders and bureaucrats, were given contract for the arrangements.
“It is also possible that the bills were cleared without a firm not doing any work for the function,” he added.
Haider said that the BJP hosted the function to showcase its ‘efficiency and intent’ and the programme was not aimed to address woes of farmers, unemployed and workers.
Meanwhile, in Jaipur, RLD leaders, led by national general secretary Trilok Tyagi, made public the party manifesto for Rajasthan Assembly election on Saturday. The document coined ‘Hamara Nischay - Rajasthan ka Navoday’ was dedicated to the people of the state in the presence of senior RLD leaders, including UP president Masood Ahmad and party leaders of the Rajasthan unit.
In the manifesto, the RLD had assured strict action against those spreading caste/communal canards, security for women, employment for youths, redressal of farmers’ issues, increasing budget for medical education from 8 per cent to 18 per cent, safeguarding the poor from malnutrition, end of manual scavenging and encouraging tourism.