Bhopal: The Congress on Saturday hit back at the BJP’s offensive against the ruling party, saying that the Shivraj Singh government hardly left anything in the state coffer and the Centre was also withholding payments.
The Congress leaders have decided to give a memorandum to the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Gopal Bhargav and BJP MPs to protest the alleged withholding of funds by the Centre.
Congress media cell deputy in charge Abhay Dubey on Saturday claimed that despite an empty coffer left behind by the BJP government, the Kamal Nath government somehow has managed to waive off farm loans of 25 lakh farmers and more such loans are scheduled to be waived off in the future.
Hitting back at the BJP’s attempt to cast aspersions on the loan waiver, Dubey claimed he can give cell phone numbers of the farmers who would confirm that their loans have been settled by the banks.
He also accused the Centre of disrupting urea supplies in the state after the BJP suffered defeat in the assembly polls. “It was a spirited fight from CM Kamal Nath in New Delhi which ensured the hindered supplies re-started,” he said.
On one hand, the previous BJP government left the state in shambles financially and on the other the Modi government is also repeatedly hampering MP’s interests, alleged the spokesperson.
Claiming that the capital and revenue expenditure has gone up, the Congress leader said, “The state had outstanding dues of Rs 41,012 crore in 2004 which in the 15 years of the BJP rule has surged to Rs 1,87,636 crore.”
In 2018-19, the revenue surplus for the state was a meager Rs 265 crore, while revenue deficit surged to Rs 9885 crore when the BJP government presented its supplementary budget in July 2018.
The Congress leader quoted the then Finance minister Jayant Malaiya who had said that the Kamal Nath government won’t be able to waive off agri-loans as the state coffer was empty.
Despite all fiscal hardships, Dubey said, the Modi government has withheld payments of Rs 1017 crore to be paid under the Bhavantar scheme for Kharif season. Under this scheme, the Centre only paid Rs 576 Crore for 2017 and Rs 321 Crore for 2018 against the procurement of crops.
The ruling party alleged that the Centre has paid Rs 2,000 Crore less than the given quota for the state. Rs 500 crore was doled out by the Centre in education and Rs 90 crore was deducted from the funds meant for Women and Child Development, said the media cell vice president.
The media cell accused the BJP of persistently peddling lies on the issue of farmers.
“The BJP had alleged the Congress government hasn’t announced bonus on wheat but CM Kamal Nath has announced Rs 2,000 per quintal MSP for wheat with Rs 240 bonus and Rs 250 bonus per quintal on maize,” said Shobha Oza, in-charge of the Congress media cell.
Both Congress leaders also referred to a reduction in power bills as implemented under their tenure. They claimed that PCC members would stage dharna at the residences of the Leader of Opposition and BJP MPs to urge them to raise their voice against the step-motherly treatment meted out to MP by the Modi government.
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