CONTENTS€¦ · BJP rally in Kuttanad, Kasaragod (Kerala) ... Vishnu. Now people celebrate Buddha Purnima with pomp and show by paying homage to Gautama Buddha. However,

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3 Kamal Sandesh May 16-31, 2016

Organisational ActivitiesBJP Rallies at Pathanamthitta, Kottayam & Paravoor............ 6

Government's AchievementsUnder Ujjwala Scheme, free LPG connections to be provided... 8Aadhaar downloads cross 40 crore mark.................................. 9Fast Tracking Expressways plan approved.............................. 10Reforms initiated by Modi Govt. in Oil and Gas Exploration. 10

VaicharikiIntegral Humanism Revisited

- P. Parameswaran.............................................................. 11

ShradhanjaliBalraj Madhok no more................................................................ 13

BJP President’s PravasTamilnadu........................................................................................ 14

ArticlesVajpayee’s Legacy on Modi’s Shoulders

By Balbir Punj...................................................................... 16Agusta exposé puts fourth estate’s credibility at stake

By Swapan Dasgupta............................................................ 20Miracle Growth Will Return :

By Arvind Panagariya......................................................... 25

OthersBJP rally in Kuttanad, Kasaragod (Kerala)............................... 22Haryana Swaran Jayanti Panchayat Sammelan........................ 24General Secretary’s Report : Part-4............................................ 28

Courtesy : The H

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If I cease to perform prescribed actions the inhabitants of all the worldswould be put into ruin and I would be cause of unvirtuous population andwould destroy all these living entities. —(Bhagavadgita : Ch.-III, 24)

TWEETS

“Usage of modern solid & liquidwaste management practices inurban areas will also benefit theadjoining rural areas.”

-Narendra Modi

“The Congress & Communist both haveonly one goal to grab power anyhow.They have neither any ideology nordifferences in them.”

-Amit Shah~~~☯

☯☯

~~~

Buddha Purnima during Vaishakha monthis celebrated as birth anniversary of

Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha whosechildhood name was Siddhartha Gautamawas a spiritual teacher on whose teachingsBuddhism was founded.

The time of Gautama Buddha’s birthand death is uncertain. However, mosthistorians date his lifetime between 563-483B.C. Most people consider Lumbini, Nepalas the birth place of Gautama Buddha.Buddha died at the age of 80 at Kushinagarin Uttar Pradesh.

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya in Bihar isthe most important pilgrimage site relatedto the life of Gautama Buddha. The otherthree important pilgrimage sites areKushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath. It isbelieved that Gautama Buddha obtainedenlightenment at Bodhagaya and he first taught the Dharma at Sarnath.

It is believed that Gautama Buddha got birth, obtained Enlightenment and passedaway on the same day. Buddha Purnima is also known as Buddha Jayanti and Buddha’sBirthday.

Among Hindus in North India Buddha is considered as the 9th incarnation of LordVishnu. Now people celebrate Buddha Purnima with pomp and show by paying homageto Gautama Buddha. However, tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction onhow to pay him homage. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of thephysical body but to regard his teachings, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal andnot subject to the law of change.

He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offeringflowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings.

Buddha Purnima : 21st May 2016

Kamal Sandesh May 16-31, 2016 5

Edito

rial..

.For Congress ‘family’ interest is more

important than principle and ethics

Recent debate in parliament on the Augusta Westland scam revealed howuncomfortable Congress is getting day by day with the progress of investigationin various scams during its regime. While it has been established beyond doubt

that the kickback were paid in the Augusta deal the Congress tried to paint it as anassault on its leadership. It went to the extent of organizing a march in the name ofdemocracy in its attempt to don the mantle of ‘victimhood’. Its real intention wasexposed in the process when the posters of Robert Vadera were on display along withSonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. It is to be noted that while investigations againstVadera is moving forward, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in NationalHerald case. The Congress is trying to create pressure on the government in a bid tostall the investigations fearing that its top leadership might get caught in the net ofinvestigating agencies. But the government has to respect the mandate of the peoplewhich has voted against the corruption and scams of Congress during UPA rule.

It is still fresh in the memory of the people that Congress and corruption has becomesynonymous during UPA rule. The situation was so that not a single day passed whena scam was not exposed in the country. There were countless scams of differentproportion among which 2G scam, Adarsh society scam, Coal scam, CWG scam,Augusta Westland scam are some of the major scams. Apart from this the kind of policyparalysis that afflicted the UPA government and inaction on major scams along withdeliberately stalling the formation of SIT on black money even in the face of SupremeCourt orders showed its true colours.

The Congress not only lost credibility in the eyes of the people it also weakened theentire political establishments by making them to serve its political ends. Now that theinvestigating agencies are working in accordance with the rule book the Congress isafraid of getting further exposed and facing the law of the land. It is really shamefulto see that while in Italy the Augusta scam was exposed and those paid bribes havebeen booked the government under UPA rule failed to take any serious step to nail theculprits.

There are evidences that the investigations were stalled under one pretext or theother and in the words of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar the ‘invisible hand wasguiding action or inaction’ in probe cannot be denied. It remains a mystery as to whyCongress could not act even when the scam was exposed in Italy and the courts in Italyproceeded against the culprits. How India has not even identified the people who wereinvolved while Italy has already booked the culprits. India as a country needs to dispelthe notion that it cannot act against high and mighty by taking stringent measuresagainst those involved in the cases of corruption.

Congress has today become a party representing corruption and opportunisticpolitics in the country. While its Uttarakhand chief minister is seen openly involvingin horse trading in a sting operation, its Himachal chief minister Veerbahdra Singh isfacing probe and Kerala chief minister Omen Chandy is found involved in scam. It isfighting against Communists in Kerala while contesting elections in West Bengal inalliance with the Communists. It is to be noted that the Congress never hits street onany national issue but when its ‘family’ comes under the scanner the Congress is seenon the street in the name of democracy. It shows that it is now completely in the gripof dynasty politics and it considers serving the interests of ‘family’ more important thanthe politics based on principle and ethics. Such approach of the Congress leadershiphas made it a party of the past with no hope for future.


BJP National PresidentShri Amit Shahaddressed huge public

rallies in Pathanamthitta,Kottayam andParavoor in Keralaon 05 May 2016. Hecalled the people ofthe state to rebuilda strong anddeveloped Keralaunder the ruling ofBJP-led NDAgovernment byrooting out thecorrupt Congress-led UDFgovernment fromthe state.

BJP presidentsaid, the 2016Assembly electionsis very important for thefuture of the people of Keralaand the state. He said,Congress-led UDF andCommunist party’s LDFgovernment is ruling the statesince for 50 years but bothgovernments have neitherdone much for thedevelopment of Kerala nor tobring changes in the lives ofthe people of the state.

He said, the LDF andUDF, both have blocked thedevelopment of Kerala. ShriShah said that the people ofKerala never vote to chooseone from these two, they voteto oust one from power, theother comes in power itself.

He said the only goal of thesetwo parties is to gain poweranyhow, they have noideology and there is no

difference between the two.He said, what is this if not avote bank politics, what is thisif it’s not a cheating that LDF

and UDF are fighting togetherin West Bengal while just toshow the people, they fightagainst each other in Kerala.

Attacking fiercely on theCongress-led UDFgovernment in Kerala, the BJPPresident said that theCongress has madecorruption and thegovernment synonymous toeach other. He said,Corruption is everywhere inKerala. He said if one has tofind corruption, then find itin Kerala, air, earth or water- there is no such places leftwhere there is no corruption.

Taking a dig at theCongress, he said that the

BJP Rallies at Pathanamthitta, Kottayam & Paravoor

Congress has made corruption and thegovernment synonymous to each other : Amit Shah

Organisational Activity

LDF and UDF fightingtogether in West Bengalbut they fight againsteach other in Kerala.What is this if not a votebank politics, what isthis if it’s not a cheating?If one has to findcorruption, then find itin Kerala, air, earth orwater - there is no suchplaces left where thereis no corruptionIf there is a BJPgovernment in Kerala,there will be nodiscrimination orinjustice with anybodyin the state


half of the state governmentbudget is lost to the scams inKerala. He said that the UPAgovernment at the Centre haddone the series of scams. Hesaid, Adarsh scam on land,submarine scam in water, 2G& Agusta-Westland scam inair and coal scam under theearth, Commonwealth scam ingames, i.e. there is no suchplaces left where there is nocorruption. Lashing out at thethen Defence Minister A. K.Antony during the UPAgovernment onAgustaWestland kickbacks,he raised the question that atwhose behest, the helicopterfield trials conducted onalleged company’s premiserather than in India, why thetender has been given to anon-original manufacturer,the people of the country wantto know the truth.

Attacking strongly on thepoor law and order in Kerala,the BJP President said thatthe law and order situationin the state under theCongress-led UDFgovernment is worse. He said,a Dalit girl is raped and thenbrutally murdered in the statebut the Kerala governmentremains inactive andemotionless, the CM keepsquiet, then who is responsiblefor the atrocities on Dalitwomen in the state?

Shri Shah said that wehave no hidden agenda, wehave just one agenda and thatis to uproot the corrupt LDFand UDF governments fromKerala. He said, a confusionis being dispersed among the

people of Kerala that if theBJP comes in to the power inKerala, then there will beviolence in the state andcommunal harmony will be indanger. He said it isridiculous.

He said, the BJP followthe principle of ‘Sabka Saath,Sabka Vikas’, we are ruling in14 states and such anuntoward incident never tookplace anywhere, however incontrast to it, we blessed withgreat affection from all sectionof society.

BJP President said theCommunist Party is accusingus for violence, but the truthis that many BJP workerswere killed brutally by theLeft and both the LDF andUDF governments, bothremained silent spectator. Hecalled upon the workers thatthe sacrifice of our workerswould not get wested, adeveloped Kerala will berebuild on the foundation ofsacrifices made by workersand the BJP-led NDA willform the government.

The BJP President said,the Congress and theCommunist both have donegreat discrimination andinjustice with the people ofKerala due to their vote bankpolitics. He said the BJP donot believe in the politics ofpartisanship like Left.

He said, “I assure you thatif there is a BJP governmentin Kerala, there will be nodiscrimination or injusticewith anybody in the state, theBJP is committed to the all-round and equal development

of Kerala.” The BJP Presidentsaid that the Communists arecontesting on the name of a96-year old veteranAchuthanandan Ji but theywill not make VS the CM ofthe state, instead, Mr. Vijayanwill be the face of theCommunist in Kerala.

Shri Amit Shah said thatthe BJP-led centralgovernment under theleadership of Shri NarendraModi Ji has workedceaselessly for the bettermentand social welfare of poor,oppressed andunderprivileged, and laidmany innovative projects fora new change which areshowing fruitful results nowwhether it be Pradhan MantriJan-Dhan Yojana, PradhanMantri Jeevan Bima Yojana,Jeevan Suraksha Bima Yojana,Pradhan Mantri Mudra BankYojana, Crop Insurancescheme, Make in India,Startup India or whether itbe Stand Up India. Shri Shahsaid our main priority is tobring an improvement in thequality of life of the poor byserving throughdevelopment.

Shri Shah called upon theparty workers to gear up fora full majority BJPgovernment in the state for adeveloped and strong Keralawhere, there is nodiscrimination and injustice inthe state. He appealed to thepeople of Kerala to give BJPan opportunity with majorityto serve the state to rebuildviolence and corruption freeKerala.


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched the PradhanMantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia. The scheme aims to providecooking gas connections to five crore below-poverty-line

beneficiaries over the next three years.Noting that May 1st is observed as Labour Day, the Prime Minister

said that in thiscentury, the aimof all workersacross the worldshould be tounite the world.

Reiteratingthat the UnionGovernment’sprimary focus

has been the welfare of the poor, the Prime Minister mentioned varioussteps for labour welfare taken by the Union Government over the last twoyears.

He mentioned the Shram Suvidha Portal, and the Labour IdentityNumber given to Shramiks. The Prime Minister recalled that Ballia is theland of the revolutionary Mangal Pandey, and said that while thedevelopment of Eastern Uttar Pradesh has suffered for decades,connectivity is now being strengthened in the region. He said the UnionGovernment is allocating tremendous resources for the development of Uttar Pradesh. He mentioned the rapidprogress that has been made in rural electrification. He said the fruits of development must reach the easternpart of India, for us to gain strength in the fight against poverty. The Prime Minister emphasized that schemesmust be designed keeping in mind the welfare of the poor, and not merely to derive electoral benefit. He saidthat the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will benefit the poor, especially the women.

Under Ujjwala Scheme, free LPGconnections to be provided to 5 crore BPL families

Government's Achievements

The scheme provides freeLPG connections to the poor

women of the nation. Underthe scheme of Pradhan

Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, about8,000 crore rupees has been

reserved to provide fiftymillion LPG connections to

the poor family units. Each ofthe beneficiary will receive

monetary support ofabout.1,600 rupees to get aconnection of cooking gas.

Qualified family units will bediscovered by consulting

with the state governmentsas well as Union territories.This strategy will be carriedout for the following 3 years

continuously.

After launching the LPG scheme in Ballia PMShri Narendra Modi went to Varanasi to launch e-boats and e-rickshaws in his Lok Sabha constituencyVaranasi on May 1. “Schemes that strengthen thepeople are important, not schemes that strengthenvote banks,” he said at Assi Ghat after the boat ride.The Prime Minister flew into Varanasi afterlaunching a scheme in Ballia under which free LPGconnections will be given to five crore poor women.While there, he had his visit should not be politicallyinterpreted - indicating a speculation made with aneye at the 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Hesaid the Centre had plans to allocate “tremendousresources” to develop Uttar Pradesh. “Fruits of development have to reach the eastern part of Indiaand then we will gain strength in the fight against poverty,” he said.

PM launches e-boats and e-rickshaws in Varanasi


The number of peopledownloading Aadhaaron the Unique

Identification Authority ofIndia (UIDAI) website is onthe rise with the number ofaverage downloads per dayof Aadhaar at 6 lakh. As ondate, Aadhaar downloadshave crossed 40 crore. Thereasons for popularity ofdownload of Aadhaarthrough website can beattributed to increased usageof Aadhaar as Proof ofIdentity and also as Proof ofAddress by service providersand the ease with which theresidents can downloadAadhaar from UIDAIwebsite.

The total numbers ofAadhaar generated as on May2, 2016 stand at 100.93 crore.

The data in the electronicversion of Aadhaar is thesame as printed on theAadhaar letter. Hence, theAadhaar downloaded fromUIDAI’s website has the samevalidity as Aadhaar cardreceived by a residentthrough post and therefore,the downloaded Aadhaar istreated at par with a printedAadhaar card receivedthrough post. Thedownloaded version ofAadhaar has also been notifiedas a valid proof of identityand address by the ReserveBank of India, vide its

Aadhaar downloads cross 40 crore mark : UIDAI

notification DBOD.AML.BC.No. 100 /14.01.001/2013-14.

“Anyone who hasmisplaced his/her Aadhaar oris yet to receive Aadhaar cardthrough post, can easilydownload an Aadhaar afterproviding certain detailsonline. In case, a person doesnot remember the details, theAadhaar can be downloadedand printed from the nearestauthorized Aadhaar Kendrafor a nominal fee of Rs.10,”said Dr. Ajay BhushanPandey, Director General &Mission Director, UIDAI.

Central and StateGovernments have linkedvarious social sector schemes/projects to Aadhaar and havenotified Aadhaar as a valid


Proof of Identity andAddress. As Aadhaar is beingincreasingly used as a proofof identity for availingvarious services, wider use ofdownloaded version ofAadhaar is expected.

To download an Aadhaaronline, the person shouldhave registered his/hermobile number at the time ofenrolment as the system willprompt the person to input aOne Time Pin to validatehimself/herself, while tryingto download the Aadhaar.The electronic version can bedownloaded either fromhttps://resident.uidai.net.in/home or by clicking on the‘Aadhaar Services’ link onhttp://www.uidai.gov.in.

For development of tourism infrastructure in the country,the Ministry of Tourism has launched the Swadesh Darshanscheme - Integrated Development of Theme-Based TouristCircuits, in 2014-15. Under the scheme, thirteen thematiccircuits have been identified for development, namely North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit,Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit,Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit,Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

Under Buddhist Circuit theme, Ministry has sanctionedthe project “Construction of Cultural Centre at Bodhgaya,Bihar” for Rs.33.17 crore in 2014-15.

Development of Ramayana,Buddhist and Sufi Circuits

Average downloads of electronic version of Aadhaar at 6 lakh per day


Government of India approved a planon May 5 for constructing 1000 km ofExpressways under NHDP Phase-VI

at a cost of Rs. 16,680cr on DBFOT basis. Themain criteria for selection of Expresswaycorridors will be the traffic volume and it wasapproved that the highest density corridor i.e.Vododara-Mumbai Corridor (400 km) wasgiven top priority and considered for feasibilitystudy. It was also decided that remaining 600km will be selected out of the routes identifiedon the basis of traffic volume. The high densitycorridors approved under NHDP Phase-VI are(i) Vododara-Mumbai Corridor (400 km) inGujarat and Maharashtra, (ii) Delhi-Meerut (66km) on NH-58 in Delhi/UP, (iii) Bangalore-Chennai (334 km) on NH-4 in Karnataka/Tamil Nadu, (iv) Delhi-Jaipur (261 Km) on NH-8 in Delhi/Rajasthan, (v) Delhi-Chandigarh(249 km) on NH-1 and NH-22, (now changedto Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar-KatraExpressway) in Delhi/Punjab/J&K, (vi)Kolkata-Dhanbad (277 km) on NH-2 in WestBengal/Jharkhand and (vii) Delhi-Agra (200km) on NH-2 in Delhi/UP.

Out of 66 Km length of Delhi-MeerutExpressway, 30.63 Km length has already beenawarded in 2 packages and contract agreementis executed on 4.3.2016. Bid for one package of19.284 Km length has been invited with BidDue Date of 9.5.2016. Feasibility study ofremaining length is under progress.

In addition to above, Government hasapproved to take up one more expresswaynamely Eastern Peripheral expressway for alength of 135 Km in 6 packages. Theconstruction on Eastern Peripheral expresswayhas been started w.e.f 14.09.2015 (AppointedDated) with construction period of 30 months.

The progress of these Expressways is beingmonitored closely by Ministry of RoadTransport & Highways and NHAI has beenasked for the time bound construction of theseexpressways; State Governments are beinginvolved during land acquisition process ofthese expressways.

Fast Tracking Expresswaysplan approved


The Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum &Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan informedthe Rajya Sabha in a written that the Governmenttakes various policy and administrative initiativesfrom time to time to facilitate hydrocarbonexploration in the country. Some of the policydecisions taken by the Government in recentyears to enhance exploration and productionactivities are as under:

Government has approved Hydrocarbon andExploration Licensing Policy (HELP) and samehas been notified on 30th March 2016. Thispolicy provides for a uniform licensing systemto explore and produce all hydrocarbons suchas oil, gas, coal bed methane, shale oil/gas,etc. under a single licensing framework Policyalso provides many incentives such as reducedroyalty rates for offshore blocks, marketing& pricing freedom and easy to administerrevenue sharing model.Marketing and Pricing freedom for new gasproduction from Deepwater, Ultra Deepwaterand High Pressure-High Temperature areassubject to certain conditions.Discovered Small Fields Policy- 67 oil & gasfields which have been held by ONGC andOIL for many years, but have not beenexploited, has been approved for biddingunder this policy.Policy for grant of extension to the ProductionSharing Contracts of 28 Small and mediumsized discovered blocks.Policy Framework for relaxation, extensionsand clarifications at the development andproduction stage under PSC regime for earlymonetization of hydrocarbon discoveries:Government approved this policy on10.11.2014, and the same is beingimplemented. Under this policy, about 40pending cases have been resolved.New Domestic Natural Gas price Guidelines,2014: Under these guidelines, gas price hasbeen linked to the market/ important hubprices.

Reforms initiated by Modi Govt.in Oil and Gas Exploration


The current globalparadigm which isbasically Western

(American) is crumbling fromwithin due to the weaknessof its foundation andunsustainability. It is alsobeing attacked by externalforces. The world isdesperately in quest of adifferent paradigm which isboth sustainable and fair toall.

During the last quarter ofthe previous century therewere discussions about a“Third Alternative”. Shri.Dathopanth Tengdiji, aprofound thinker, wrote abook “ The Third Way”. Thatwas the time when there weretwo major paradigms claimingleadership of the world- theCapitalist and the Communist.Both were Western in originthough based on conflictingideologies. But, theCommunist paradigmcollapsed in its own citadels,leaving capitalism triumphantand USA, its citadel claimed

monopoly for reshaping anew world order showcasingitself as the only successfulparadigm for the wholehumanity. But, the celebrationdid not last long. The recentcollapse of AmericanEconomy, bursting like aballoon played havoc, notonly within America but alsoamong the countries of theworld, which had integratedwith the American economyin different degrees. FidelCastro, the architect of adistinct paradigm ofdevelopment, has nowcandidly admitted that theCuban model is a total failure.Countries of Europe - theerstwhile imperial masters,colonizing large parts of Asiaand Africa, have miserablyfallen behind.

World is in need of a newparadigm considering thechaotic conditions engulfingthe globe. What we need isnot an alternative paradigm,but a “True Paradigm” basedon a globally relevant view

and vision of life. Anyparadigm presupposes avision of Reality whichinspires to reconstruct a worldorder. Vision depends uponthe level of consciousness inwhich the visionary functions.The present chaotic,conflictual, exploitative,threatening scenario is a truereflection of the level ofconsciousness at which theleadership of the worldoperates. They cannot dobetter. All the machineries, alls o p h i s t i c a t e dinstrumentations, all theeconomic and politicalapparatus, and all the culturaland civilizational structures,they have introduced are allthe products of thisconsciousness. To have analternative paradigm it is ofutmost importance that thelevel of consciousness onwhich their conceptualframework functions mustundergo correspondingchanges.

The Western conceptual

Integral Humanism Revisited P. Parameswaran

Integral humanism is not a quick-fix solution for electoral success nor is it a convenientstrategy for capturing power. It is not even a political philosophy devised to promoteand support any political party. It is a comprehensive world-view which originated inIndia as a result of the profound insight of generations of wise men who are known asthe ‘Rishis’. It covers every spectrum of human life and its foundations are eternallysound and always relevant. It is from that rich philosophy that the great Indian cultureevolved. Any truly nationalist movement can benefit from this all embracing philosophy.It is inclusive of spiritual as well as material progress of mankind.

VAICHARIKI : PART - I


frame work, whethercapitalist or communist, isbasically materialistic. Thechanges they want to bringabout are at the materiallevel by re-arranging theresources, both human andnatural, in such a way that an‘ideal’ paradigm could beshaped . The concept ofdevelopment and the conceptof human welfare in all itsaspects are measured in termsof material parameters.Needs, comforts and luxuriesall indicate that varyingdegrees of materialpossessions. Man, for whosesake all developmentprogrammes are aimed atalso, according to them, is amaterial being with the bodyas the main substratum. Thisis a highly partial andparochial view of Man.Enjoyment and a materiallysatisfying supply of goodsand services is what they aimat. In the whole process theytotally ignore that man ismuch more than an advancedanimal. The same is true withthe Western vision about thereality. They see acompartmentalized worldwith conflicting interests.

IThere is a general

consensus across the worldthat humanity is facing acivilizational crisis. Manyleading thinkers rank it as anexistential crisis, which if notimmediately averted can evenspell doom for the humanspecies. But this awareness isonly at the rational orintellectual level. It has not

sufficiently seeped into theemotional dimension with theresult that although there isenough of discussions anddebate, they are not matchedby adequate operationalagenda. When it comes to thatthere is no unanimity ofapproach. Cancun conferenceis indicative of this. Decisionsare postponed and follow upare not undertaken.

It is also accepted that thecrisis is the outcome of theaggressive westerncivilisational paradigm,mainly spearheaded by theworld’s lone superpower, theUSA. That much is concededeven in the Europeancountries. The Americanmodel is basically andessentially materialistic andconsumeristic. It has its rootsin the biblical command bythe Lord that the Nature ismeant for exploitation by manfor his comforts. Thecommunist model has notsucceeded in evolving asuitable solution for the illsof capitalism, the main reasonbeing that it is equallymaterialistic. It is anotherversion of Christianity turnedupside down. It is only areactionary fruit born out theroot of capitalism.

Asian continent is on therise. But Asia is not one unitedpower nor has it one commoncivilization. There are twomajor contestants emerging aspromising super powers,China and India. Among thetwo, China is ahead in manyways which compels worldpowers to rank China as the

immediate winner. China is inall likelihood to dominate theworld scene in the near future.But that is not going to be fora long time. The world willnot like to be under adominating superpowerespecially when it is dictatorialand not democratic. Theoutcome is, in all probabilityto be in India’s favour. It isonly a matter of time. Butmeanwhile, India has to equipherself to play the rolerequired and expected of hercultural and civilisationalgenius.

The really serious questionthat India has to face is whatmodel of civilization and whatfundamental values will Indiapresent before the worldwhich is capable of providinga suitable alternative for thepresent crisis. It is not only amatter of theoretical orideological paradigm but apractical and workablesolution with a universalappeal. That means it shouldbe sustainable and inclusive,tolerant and equitable. Such amodel has to be evolved inall spheres of life so that theworld could appreciate it anddraw appropriate and usefulparallels for their applicationalso. This will be the main jobfor India for at least thecoming generation. But thecrucial question is whetherthe dominant policy makersis sufficiently or even vaguelyaware of this mightychallenges we are facing?

To continue...(Courtesy : Nationalism, GoodGovernance and Development :

Kamal Sandesh Special Issue)


Staunch nationalist and former president of BharatiyaJansangh the earlier avatar of the present BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP), Prof Balraj Madhok breathed his

last on 02 May, 2016 at the age of 96.Shri Madhok was ill for the last few days and the end

came around 9.00 am at his residence in Central Delhi’sNew Rajendra Nagar.

Born on February 25, 1920, in Skardu (Baltistan)region of Kashmir (now in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistanarea), Shri Madhok had his education in Srinagar, thePrince of Wales College in Jammu and the DayanandAnglo-Vedic College (DAV College) in Lahore, graduatingwith B. A. Honours in History in 1940.

He came in contact with Rashtriya SwayamsevakSangh (RSS) while he was studying at Lahore in 1938 andbecame a Pracharak in 1942.

He was sent to Jammu and Kashmir to start Sanghwork there.

Prof. Balraj Madhok was very active in thecontemporary Indian politics in the 1960s. He succeededPt. Deendayal Upadhyaya as President of BharatiyaJansangh following the murder of Pt. Upadhyaya.

Former president of Bharatiya JansanghBalraj Madhok no more

PM condoles thepassing away of

Shri Balraj MadhokThe Prime

Minister, ShriNarendra Modihas condoledthe passingaway of ShriBalraj Madhok.PM said, “Balraj

Madhok ji’s ideologicalcommitment was strong and clarityof thought immense. He wasselflessly devoted to the nation andsociety. Had the good fortune ofinteracting with Balraj Madhok jion many occasions. His demise issaddening. Condolences to hisfamily. RIP”, the Prime Ministersaid.

BJP National Presidentcondoles the death of

Shri Balraj MadhokPaying his

last respects toLate BalrajMadhok ji BJPN a t i o n a lPresident ShriAmit Shahsaid I wassaddened by Balraj Madhok’sdemise. His entire life wascommitted to nation & ideology.My condolences to his family.

Shradhanjali


Shri Amit Shah addressed huge rallies inPattukottai, Tenkasi and Nagercoil,Tamil Nadu on 04 May, 2016 and blamed

the DMK, AIADMK and Congress for theplight of the Tamil Nadu and attacked themfiercely. He also urged the people of the stateto form a BJP-led government in the state forthe development of Tamil Nadu.

The BJP president said, the people of TamilNadu have to take a decision in this 2016Assembly elections that whether they need ofa development oriented BJP-led NDAgovernment or the DMK/AIADMKgovernment of corruption and scandal? Hesaid that the DMK or the AIADMK - bothparties have exploited the people of TamilNadu one-by-one and nurtured corruptionwhile the people of the state have alreadyrejected them outrightly.

He said that the DMK and AIADMKgovernments had done nothing for 50 yearsrather than corruption. He said that there isno difference between the DMK and AIADMK,both are corrupt and worked to keep peopleof the state bereft of development. He said,the problem of unemployment, drinking water

and electricity in Tamil Nadu is only due tocorruption.

BJP President said, the country has pickupthe path of development very first time afterthe formation of BJP-led NDA governmentunder the leadership of Prime Minister, ShriNarendra Modi and there is a new ray ofhope among the people of the state. He said,we have to initiate such starts in Tamil Nadualso and for this, we have to form a BJP-ledNDA government by changing the alternativegovernments of the DMK and AIADMK.

Shri Shah said that Tamil Nadu has becomea symbol of corruption instead of being placeof entrepreneurship, hard work andindustrialization. He said the DMK, AIADMKand Congress - all three parties are bellyfulsinked in corruption.

He said, the 2G, Airtel-Maxis scams areconnected directly to the DMK and theCongress, the face of Congress in Tamil Nadu,P. Chidambaram and his son KarthiChidambaram is already charged in thedisproportionate assets case and in many othercorruption cases. He said, the Congress-ledUPA government has done scam of more than

BJP rally in Pattukottai, Tenkasi and Nagarcoil

BJP President’s Pravas

‘Tamil Nadu has become a symbol of corruption instead ofa place of entrepreneurship and industrialization’

From Our Correspondent


Rs.12 lakh crore in its 10 years of regime -scams like 2G scam, Commonwealth scam,Agusta-Westland scam, coal scam etc are justthe glimpses of so many scams of UPAgovernment.

He said that AIADMK Supremo is alsoinvolved in disproportionate assets case, liqurescam and many other scams. He said, weheard many types of scandals in the countrybut in Tamil Nadu, a scam of baby milk hasbeen done by the ruling party leaders. Also

the DMK and AIADMK, both parties haveinvolved in scams of sand & mines worthmore than Rs.2000 crore. Taking a dig atJayalalitha government of Tamil Nadu, ShriShah said, when the AIADMK governmentform in the state for five years, the people donot ever know when the CM of the state willbe changed.

The BJP President said that the people ofthe state have seen the ruling of two partiesand two families, this 2016 Assembly electionsis an opportunity to get the rid of it.

Shri Shah said there is not even a singleallegation of corruption on BJP governmentunder the leadership of Prime Minister, ShriNarendra Modi in last two years. He said, wehave laid the foundation of a corruption-freegovernment in the country.

Shri Shah said Modi government iscommitted to the safety of fishermen of TamilNadu. Shri Shah said, during the two years ofModi government, not even a single Tamilfishermen has been shot by Sri Lankan Navy.He said that we ensured safe return of TamilNadu fishermen from Sri Lanka despite of

having death penalty in Sri Lanka andmaintained the dignity of the state intact.

He said, during the flood in Tamil Naduwhere the state government were sleeping, itwas our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,who himself stood for the proper organizationof the relief efforts in Chennai and immediatefinancial assistance of Rs.2,000 crore was givento the state government to help affectedpeople.

Accusing the Jayalalithaa government, ShriShah said that despite spending themoney of improving infrastructure andpublic facilities, Cheque signed byAmma were distributed, not only it,the Tamil Nadu CM is also distributingrice at low cost to the people of thestate while the central government isproviding rice at the low cost to thestate.

He said, Tamil Nadu’s AIADMKgovernment remains frigid inimplementing public welfare schemes

of the central government like ruralelectrification and use of LED bulbs, PrimeMinister Sadak Yojana, Crop Insurancescheme, Soil health card scheme, socialsecurity schemes and Mudra Yojana for theself-reliance of poor etc.

The BJP President said that the BJPgovernment at the Centre has launched severalschemes for the benefit of the health of poor.He said, ‘UJJWALA’ yojana has been initiatedto give free gas cylinders to five crores poorfamilies of the country by 2019 but theseschemes cannot be reached to the commonman in the ruling of the DMK and AIADMKgovernments in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP president said if we have to takethe state to the top of the prosperity then weneed to change the trend of alternativegovernment of DMK and AIADMK in thestate. He said, if NDA government is formedin the state, then most of the problems ofTamil Nadu will be resolved automatically.He appealed to the people of the state tomake a BJP coalition government in the statefor the development of Tamil Nadu.


After Narasimha Raoliberalised theeconomy, Vajpayee

brought the first generationof market reforms. Now, it isNarendra Modi, another BJPPrime Minister, who isbringing in the secondgeneration of reforms

While the media continuesto focus on aberrations likethe unfortunate death ofShaktimaan, the UttarakhandPolice horse, the big story ofthe Indian economy taking aU-turn, has been convenientlyignored. Meanwhile, ReserveBank of India GovernorRaghuram Rajan’s remarkthat, in the land of the blind,the one-eyed man is king, hasunderlined the reality that theIndian economy is recoveringfast, and is robust in the midstof a global downturn.

However, behind thisemerging success story is atale that needs to be recalled.Some 25 years ago, when Indiafaced virtual bankruptcy, theCongress Government at theCentre took a bold step todisband the Nehruvian modelc o n t r o l - a n d - c o m m a n deconomy and opt for a free-market structure.

Was the decisionfacilitated by the fact that anon-Gandhi family Congressleader was the Prime Ministerof India at that time? Thisquestion notwithstanding, noone can fail to acknowledgethat Prime Minister PV

Narasimha Rao and his non-political economist FinanceMinister Manmohan Singhhad the guts to take thisdecision, even as theGovernment was hanging bya thin thread of majority inParliament.

There is no doubt that theswitch from licence raj to amarket economy did muchgood, not only to the Indianeconomy but also to theGovernment within a shortspan of time. In 1991, we hadforeign exchange reserves justabout enough to financeimports for a fortnight and aminiscule export earnings. Injust a year of marketeconomy, this rose to a three-month-reserve. India gainedrecognition at the global tableand ended its reliance on aidfrom the International

Monetary Fund and otherslenders.

The transformation of theIndian economy from beingsupply-determined todemand-driven was due tothe adoption of a marketeconomy. No more was therea waiting period for cars andscooters; the housing androad construction industrieswere drawing down ruralunemployment; shortage inautomobiles was eliminated.The automobile industry,which welcomed severalforeign firms that set upfactories and distributionagencies in India, become abig employer.

Under the AB Vajpayeeregime from 1998, the marketeconomy transformed the faceof India. The telecomrevolution of the Vajpayeeregime put a mobile phone inthe hands of 300 millionpeople. It also facilitatedcheaper call rates andaffordable mobile phones.Under this Government, theIndian state got out ofbusinesses like hotels,enabling a surge not only innew constructions but alsorenewed old ones.

A new programme oflaying highways, expresswaysand rural roads also broughta large number of Indian andforeign construction firmsinto the limelight. Yet anotheremployment creator was thelow-cost private sector airline.

Vajpayee’s Legacy on Modi’s ShouldersBy Balbir Punj

Under the AB Vajpayee regimefrom 1998, the market economytransformed the face of India.The telecom revolution of theVajpayee regime put a mobilephone in the hands of 300million people. It alsofacilitated cheaper call ratesand affordable mobile phones.Under this Government, theIndian state got out ofbusinesses like hotels,enabling a surge not only innew constructions but alsorenewed old ones.

~~~~~~~☯☯☯~~~~~~~


Now the middle-class travelercould afford air travel ascompetition between airlinesbrought down air ticketprices. The Vajpayee regimebrought the 21st century toIndia.

Under the socialistmiasma, for instance, Indiawas promised indigenoussmall cars crawling over itsroads. Middle-level cars likethe SUVs were declaredluxuries not suitable forsocialist India. And even thesmall car was to be built inthe public sector.

Awaiting the small carfrom the public sector, theproduction of medium carslike the Ambassador and Fiatwas severely restricted tosome 30,000 units a year. Theresult was just like the chaosthat Mao’s communismcreated in China — 10 to 15yearlong waiting lists andquotas for a poor quality car.But even this poor quality car,with no new innovation,created a thriving black marketwith under-the-table sales asno other brand was availableand quota cars could beobtained through influence bypeople who did not need it.

What happened to thesmall car finally is a reminderof the corruption andnepotism that characterisedCongress regimes. In 1962,JRD Tata proposed toJawaharlal Nehru that he willbuild a small car within reachof the Indian middle class.But the Prime Ministerrejected the offer as the officialpolicy was to build the car in

the public sector alone.All this represents the

built-in corruption, the falseclaims, and the one familydominance that was thehallmark of Nehruviansocialism. The Indianeconomy was thenpejoratively referred to asbeing under the spell of theHindu rate of growth of 2.5to three per cent.

After the market economywas ushered in, the curse of a2.5 per cent growth rate waslifted. By the time the BJPgovernment under Vajpayeecompleted its term, the rate ofgrowth had climbed to six percent and then subsequently toeight plus per cent.

NR Narayana Murthywho built up the iconic ITcompany Infosys revealswhat it meant to be underthe Nehruvian socialismwhile building up an ITservices company. “I had tocome to Delhi 18 times to geta permit to import the typeof computer I needed to meetthe needs of the contract forsoftware I had obtained,” hesaid in a newspaperinterview. The export-importcontrol choke wasdismantled under the marketeconomy and with the swingthat the Vajpayeegovernment gave the ITindustry, India was earningover $50 billion by 2007.

In the first quartercentury after the marketeconomy was introduced, thefirst real thrust came from theBJP-led VajpayeeGovernment the telecom

reform, the disinvestmentdrive, the low fare competingairlines, the proliferating cableTV channels, the $300 billionforeign exchange reserve,new jobs in the IT sector, oilrefining, trade, telecom,tourism and travel, ATMbanking, e-governance, theconstruction boom etc.

Now, it has once againfallen on to yet another BJPGovernment, under PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, tofurther broadbase the marketeconomy through a series ofreforms such as the nationalmarket for agricultureproducts, the proposed GST,extensive e-governance, theDigital India framework, theSagarmala port linkages,enervating the railwaysnetwork with high speedtrains, exclusive freightcorridors that link major portsto the interiors, the revival ofnational highway-building,support to start-ups andentrepreneurs, the big pushto manufacturing through theMake in India programme, thesupport to job creators ratherthan job seekers, the bankingrevolution, the indigenousweapons and military aircraftproduction with foreignparticipation, the energysolution with lower pollution,and so on. That the first andthe second phase of themarket thrust to the economyhave both come from BJP-ledGovernments is a historicupturn for the country and amatter of pride for the party.

(The writer is a renownedcolumnist)


Take strongest actionagainst takers ofmoney, whoever it may

be. A litany of omissions andcommissions at variousstages of the decision-making process indicatemalafide and corruptactions and violations ofaccepted norms ofprocurement processes.On 5th August, 1999, theAir Force proposed thereplacement of MI-8 VIPhelicopters and a globalRPF was issued to elevenvendors on 20th March,2002. The TechnicalEvaluation Committeeshortlisted three vendors viz.,MI- 172, EC-225 and EH-101.The flight evaluation of EH-101 could not be done as thehelicopter was not certifiedfor an altitude of 6,000 meters.The EH-101 helicopter waslater renamed as AW101 ofAgusta Westland. After flightevaluation, only EC-225 wasfound suitable for acquisition.

From 2005 onwards, aseries of measures were takenby the then Governmentwhich resulted in eventualacquisition of AW helicopter.These steps received stringent110 criticism by theComptroller and Auditor

General of India. The fact thatthere was corruption in thematter is brought out inextensive details in recent

judgements of Milan HighCourt. The country wants toknow as to who instigated,who supported and whobenefitted from thecorruption. We cannot let thispass. The cabin height of 1.8metres was made mandatoryin the revised Service QualityRequirements. The acceptanceof necessity for theprocurement of 12 helicoptersat Rs.793 crores was accordedby the Defence AcquisitionCouncil on 3rd January, 2006.These changes in SQRseliminated the EC-225helicopter which had met theOperational Requirementsearlier and allowed AW-101

helicopter to enter the fray.In this way, options remainedlimited to a few range ofhelicopters.

While the RFP wasissued to M/sAgustaWestland, Italy,the response to RFP wasreceived from M/sA g u s t a W e s t l a n dInternational Ltd., UK,which was not the entityto whom RFP wasissued. The bid of M/sA g u s t a W e s t l a n dInternational Ltd., UK,should have beenrejected outrightly as it

was not the agency to whomthe RFP was issued, instead,the relentless push in favourof AWIL continued. RFP hascategorically stated that FETwould be carried out in Indiaon ‘no cost no commitment’basis. This crucial aspect hasbeen given a go-by bypermitting trials in foreignlands. Even the trial wasconducted on representativehelicopters as at the time ofFET, the AgustaWestlandhelicopter was indevelopmental stage. NeitherS-92 nor AW-101 fullycomplied with SQR in the FET.

However, AW-101 wasrecommended for induction

Invinsible hand was guiding the actions orinactions by CBI and ED : Manohar Parrikar

Debate in Parliament

In the parliament issue of Augusta Westland scam was debeted in which manymembers participated. We are publishing the synopsis of the speech of DefenceMinister Shri Manohar Parrikar for our esteemed readers :


in spite of emerging as a singlevendor by waiving off twoparameters, while no suchconcession was granted to S-92. The warranty of ‘threeyears/900 hours whichever isearlier’ offered on the wholehelicopter by M/s AWIL wasaccepted instead of RFPstipulation of ‘three years/900hours whichever is later’. Theaccepted principle inprocurement is thatdeviations must be approvedonly under exceptionalcircumstances. AugustaWestland gave a yearwisebreakup of work from 2011to 2014 to be executed by IDSInfotech under this offsetprogramme even though thework has been completed wellbefore the conclusion of thecontract in 2010.

Investigation in the matterso far revealed involvementof IDS InfoTech as a conduitfor transfer of bribe money.The benchmark 111 cost forsuch helicopters wasunreasonably high than theoffered cost. It was six timesthe estimated total project costwhich indicates that properestimates was not prepared.Ministry of Finance haddeclined the proposal. CNChad provided no realisticbasis for price negotiations.Final negotiated price wasquite high compared to theestimated cost. Even the CAGReport also found deviationsof norms in such a purchase.The matter about corruptionstarted appearing in themedia in Italy from February,2012. The Government of

India, instead of taking actionon the company, adopted aroute of writing to theMinistry of External Affairs,to the Embassy etc. and noexplanation was asked fromthe company and theoperation of the saidagreement continued. Eventhe deliveries of threehelicopters were accepted inDecember, 2012. Only onreceiving the reports ofarrests of M/s. FinmeccanicaChief, the Ministry ofDefence, on 12th February,2013, asked the CBI toconduct an inquiry into thematter. The operation of theagreement was put on holdand payments stopped withissuance of the first ShowCause Notice on 15.02.2013.As per the advice of the AG,the contract was cancelled on1.1.2014 and all the guarantees/ bonds were invoked.

However, against anadvance payment of Euro

250.32 million given to M/sAWIL, only an amount ofEuro 199.62 million towardsdelivery of three helicopters,were recovered. In addition,the Government also sufferedan estimated loss anddamages of Euro 398.21million. It is strange that theCBI which registered an FIRin the matter on 12th March,2013, did not bother toforward a copy of the FIR toEnforcement Directorate fornine months. TheEnforcement Directorate didnot act on the FIR in July,2014. It appears that invinsiblehand was guiding the actionsor inactions by CBI and ED.After the presentGovernment took over, CBIand Enforcement Directoratehave been vigorouslypursuing all aspects of theinvestigation including thearrests and/or extradition ofthree foreign nationals andthe MoD had no option butto cancel the contract. If thethen Government had actedin right earnest the entireadvance payment could havebeen recovered. There is anagreement that the corruptpractices were involved in theprocurement of theAgustaWestland helicopters.The Italian court judgementalso 112 unequivocally acceptsthat the deal involvedcorruption. Hence the mainaction required is to detectthese corrupt practices. TheCBI has already done a lot ofinvestigation. I cannot divulgethe details of investigation forobvious reasons.

After the presentGovernment took over, CBIand EnforcementDirectorate have beenvigorously pursuing allaspects of the investigationincluding the arrests and/orextradition of three foreignnationals and the MoD hadno option but to cancel thecontract. If the thenGovernment had acted inright earnest the entireadvance payment couldhave been recovered.


There is a cynicalsuggestion that allDefence deals in India

involve a measure of financialimpropriety and that therecent revelations of briberyand corruption in the abortedAgustaWestland helicopterdeal, while titillating in itself,indicates no real departurefrom an established pattern.There is undoubtedly somemerit in this argument. In anycase, since the 1980s, there isa growing belief that bothindividuals in high places —particularly in the military,bureaucracy and politics —use the large sums expendedin Defence purchases to buildthemselves a tiny nest egg.Some of the illegal proceeds,it is also believed, find theirway into the coffers of politicalparties.

The controversy over thepurchase of artillery gunsfrom the Swedish companyBofors was the first occasionwhen the paper trailestablishing monetaryinducements and kickbackscame into the public domain.The furore over the allegedRs 64 crore payback had asignificant political fallout andwas an important factor in thedefeat of Rajiv Gandhi in the1989 general election.

Looking back, the Boforscontroversy established thepresence of middlemen whoreceived commission for thepurchases by the Indian

Government. It alsoestablished the role ofpolitically connected armsagents and freelancers whoreceived a cut. This in turnfuelled speculation thatsignificant amounts of moneywas further channelled intothe pockets of political leaders.Mercifully, however, theBofors controversy did not tarthe reputation of the militaryin the same way as an earlierpurchase of submarines for the

Indian Navy did.The AgustaWestland

controversy that is now underthe scanner in India followinga string of convictions onbribery charges by an Italiancourt has, so far, promptedsome initial conclusions. It hasestablished that the helicoptermanufacturer wasn’t averseto paying out bribes. It hasalso indicated that keydecision-makers in themilitary establishment mayhave been compromised.There are also hints that someleading lights in the political

establishment — whose namesare the subject of furiousspeculation — tweaked thebidding process to favour onecompany and receivedfinancial rewards for this actof manipulation.

Compared to the Boforsdeal, there was, however, anew entity that emerged inthe scrutiny of theAgustaWestland papers so faravailable. The court recordsindicate that the manufacturer

paid a middleman somethingin the region of Euro 6 millionfor “media management”.

The sum set aside formanaging the media or ahandful of relevant journalistsis very revealing. There wasno hint of any mediainvolvement in the Boforsscandal and, indeed, it wasthe media that played asignificant role in unearthingdocuments that established alarge part of the hanky-panky.Today there is the bizarrespectacle of the media beingput in the dock for being

Agusta exposé puts fourth estate’s credibility at stakeBy Swapan Dasgupta

The AgustaWestland controversy that is now under the scannerin India following a string of convictions on bribery charges byan Italian court has, so far, prompted some initial conclusions.It has established that the helicopter manufacturer wasn’t averseto paying out bribes. It has also indicated that key decision-makers in the military establishment may have beencompromised. There are also hints that some leading lights inthe political establishment — whose names are the subject offurious speculation — tweaked the bidding process to favourone company and received financial rewards for this act ofmanipulation.


players in a sordid gameinvolving manipulation andbribery.

Part of the reason lies inthe changed environment. Inthe mid-1980s, the media hadlittle or no role in thedecision-making process. Itstask was basically that of achronicler and, infrequently,as an investigator. Today,thanks to its phenomenalmultiplication and itsstaggering outreach, themedia has become a part ofthe decision-making process.The media today has thepotential and the ability tocreate a favourableenvironment or even avitiated atmosphere that canmake or break a big decisioninvolving public money.Managing the media hasconsequently become animportant facet of marketing.

It may well be argued thatthere is nothing irregular incompanies promoting theirproducts. To some, even about of generous hospitality— the odd lunches anddinners, not to mention thebottle of whisky on Diwali —is part of public relations. Butthere is a difference betweenadvocacy — a term preferredby Western-funded NGOswho are good at getting theirpoint of view across to themedia — and lobbying. Thequestion that the media mustask itself in view of theAgustaWestland revelationsis whether some journalistsused their privileged accessto the Defence Ministry toinfluence decisions or even

suppress key information.Were they specially paid fortheir services? Did journalistsmisuse their professionalstatus to solicit business for aparticular company?

These are questions thatcan no longer be evaded, notleast in the context of the ‘paidnews’ controversy that haseroded the credibility of theFourth Estate. So far theprofessional associations thatclaim to safeguard mediainterests have maintained asullen silence on theAgustaWestland revelations,pretending that it is a non-issue. Such ostrich-likeattitudes won’t suffice anymore. If there is evidence that

Indian Government makes agreement withRussia for setting up Kudankulam Units 5&6

An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) betweenGovernment of India and Government of Russian Federationwas signed in December 2008 for setting up units 3 to 6 atKudankulam, Tamil Nadu in technical cooperation withRussian Federation. Discussions on the draft GeneralFramework Agreement for setting up Units 5&6 (KKNPP5&6) are currently in progress.

The project is planned to be set up on technical cooperationbasis with shared scope of work. The Indian private industrywould be involved in supply of equipment, execution of theworks contracts, providing services in Indian scope of workand localisation of components.

The Kudankulam site was found to have an optimumpotential for locating six units each of 1000 MW by the SiteSelection Committee of the Government. The Governmentaccorded ‘in principle’ approval for setting up of Units 5&6at Kudankulam in October 2009, in addition to Units 1&2then under construction and Units 3&4 which were accorded‘in principle’ approval earlier. Regarding the cost of Units5&6, discussions are in progress on the Techno-CommercialOffer submitted by the Russian side. The cost will emerge onconclusion of the discussions.

public relations agencies andindividual journalists wentbeyond the call of duty andwere engaged in influencingdecisions relating to facets ofnational security, there has tobe remedial action. TheGovernment-approved Presscard gives the mediaprivileged access intoGovernment offices. If this isbeing misused, it compromisesthe entire profession.

The response to theAgustaWestland revelationsdoesn’t lie in governmentalvigilance alone. Theprofession as a whole mustengage in self-correction.

(The writer is a member of RajyaSabha and a renowned Columnist)


Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi on 8May, 2016 asked the

people of Kerala to think oftheir future and not justchange regimes, as hecontinued his tirade againstthe ruling UDF and theopposition LDF saying bothhave failed to provide evendrinking water tothem in so manyyears.

A d d r e s s i n ghis second electionrally in Kuttanad,Shri Modi alsoaccused theCongress and theCPI (M) ofcovering eachother’s corruptionand said theywould get toknow thatgovernments haveto work for thepeople only whenthey are defeated. There wasa loud applause from thecrowd when the PrimeMinister began his speech inMalayalam.

Shri Modi said, “Kerala issurrounded by water but stillthere is no drinking waterhere. India will next yearcomplete 70 years of herfreedom. Both Congress andCommunists have ruled thestate by turn (all these years)but they are not concernedabout even providing

drinking water”.Asking the people

whether those who havefailed to provide even basicthings like drinking watershould be elected or not, hesaid “both the Congress andCommunists are in sync whenit comes to indulging incorruption.”

“These people havedecided to taste power forfive years in rotation. Thisway, they decided not to lookeach other’s sins and opentheir files (exposecorruption),” he said. “Youneed to think if you just haveto change the government oryour future also,” Shri Modiexhorted the crowd.

This was his secondelection rally in the SouthernState, which is all set to gofor polls on May 16, 2016.

‘UDF, LDF doingadjustment politics’

Earlier in the day at a pollrally at Kasaragod, PM ShriModi had taken a dig at thetwo main politicalcombinations of Kerala,saying both were “insulting”the educated people of Keralathrough their adjustment

politics.“A new model

of politics has comeup in Kerala. It is anadjustment politics,politics ofc o m p r o m i s e ,politics ofcorruption andpolitics of contractto save each other,”he said.

“It is a contractrule between UDFand LDF. For fiveyears you rule andfor another fiveyears we will rule”.

This is how the two Frontshave been returning to powerin the State, Shri Modi said.

Embarking on his secondleg of electioneering for theMay 16, 2016 Kerala Assemblyelections, Shri Narendra Moditook a swipe at the tie-upbetween the Congress and theCPI(M) in West Bengal andsaid both these parties were“insulting” the educatedpeople of Kerala and theyshould understand theadjustment politics of the two

BJP rally in Kuttanad, Kasaragod (Kerala)

Don’t just change regimes in Kerala,think of future : Narendra Modi


parties.“Congress leaders in

Kerala talk about the violenceunleashed by CPI(M) cadresin the State, but when theygo to West Bengal, they sayonly communists can saveWest Bengal”, he said.

“I want to ask theeducated people of the Stateif they would trust the partieswho speak two languages intwo places at one time”, heasked.

“This election is not aboutwho will form the governmentin Kerala, but who will saveKerala and who will give jobsto Kerala’s youths and securetheir future,” Shri Modi said.

Seeking votes for BJP-NDA candidates, hehighlighted the variousdevelopment and welfareschemes launched by NDAgovernment in the last twoyears in office.

“Government in Delhi isworking out steps to helparecanut and coconut farmersand we are aware of the crisisfaced by them”, he said.

The Prime Minister alsomentioned about the benefitsof Agriculture Crop Insuranceand Mudra Yojana introducedby the NDA government.

“We have a dream. By2022, when India celebratesits 75th anniversary ofindependence, we want todouble the income of farmersin the country,” he saidamidst cheers from the hugecrowd.

Attacking the CPI(M), ShriModi said Kerala has been“destroyed by politics ofviolence” as he mentioned themurder of a BJP activist yearsago at Thalassery in Kannur

district.“One among those who

killed him (the BJP worker) isnow the Chief Ministerialcandidate of CPI(M) inKerala. Will Kerala’s futurebe safe in the hands of thesepeople?” he said.

“I want to tell the mediain Delhi, in Kerala, which isknown as God’s OwnCountry, these innocentpeople have been killed andpeople of country were notaware of it,” he said, addingthat people who were sittingwith “eyes closed” should beaware of the politics ofviolence in this part of thecountry.

At the meeting, the PrimeMinister also introduced tothe crowd a victim of alleged

CPI(M) violence, SadanandaMaster, whose legs were cutoff. “He did not make anymistake, his only mistake wasattackers did not agree withthe victim’s ideology”, hesaid.

Referring to the recentbrutal rape and murder of aDalit law student atPerumbavoor and evacuationof thousands of Indiansincluding Malayali nursesfrom strife-torn areas abroad,the Prime Minister said theCentre always feels pain ifsomething untowardincidents happens in Kerala.

The Prime Minister saidwhen 102 persons had beenkilled a few years ago in astampede at the LordAyyappa temple atSabarimala, “none came. Noquestion of Prime Ministercoming” at that time.

“But within hours of thePuttingal temple tragedy inKollam recently, where 109persons had lost their lives,the Prime Minister of thecountry was here withinhours to take stock of thesituation,” he said.

“If we have to secureKerala’s future, thencorruption should be weededout, politics of developmentinstead of politics of violenceshould be embraced and theBJP should be given a chance”,he said and recalled thecontributions of Adi Sankara,Sri Narayana Guru, ChattambiSwamigal and Ayyankalitowards the social, culturaland educational fields of theState.

“If we have to secure Kerala’s future, then corruptionshould be weeded out, politics of development insteadof politics of violence should be embraced and the BJPshould be given a chance”, he said and recalled thecontributions of Adi Sankara, Sri Narayana Guru,Chattambi Swamigal and Ayyankali towards the social,cultural and educational fields of the State.


BJP president Shri AmitShah addressed a rallyof thousands of newly-

elected representatives ofPanchayati Raj institutions(PRI) at Gohana town ofSonipat district, Haryana on23 April, 2016. Thegovernment sources said that

PRI representatives from 6,907villages participated in the“Haryana Swaran JayantiPanchayat Sammelan”.

Addressing the gatheringShri Shah praised people ofHaryana for their hard workand promised that every helpwould be provided to themto develop their villages andstate on the pattern of Gujaratand Madhya Pradesh. Heasked the Chief Minister tosend delegations to Gujaratand Madhya Pradesh for spotassessment of the

BJP committed to all-rounddevelopment of villages : Amit Shah

development.Shri Shah said the message

from today’s Panchayati RajSammelan is loud and clear,“Development of villages andcorruption-free governance inHaryana”.

BJP President Shri AmitShah said, “The Centre is

committed to double theincome of the common manin villages by 2022. TheNarendra Modi governmenthas realized that the countrycan only be developed oncevillages are developed,” atthe function. For the first time,he said, the people had votedBJP to power in Haryana,hoping a responsivegovernment.

Shri Shah said, “Thepeople were fed up with thegovernments of two familiesin the state,” adding the BJP

government had zero-tolerance approach tocorruption.

He promised Haryanavillages would be developedon the pattern of Gujarat andMadhya Pradesh and askedChief Minister Shri ManoharLal Khatrar to send out

delegations to thetwo states toassess thed e v e l o p m e n tprocess there.

W h i l ereferring to recentJat agitation, ChiefMinister ShriManohar LalKhattar cautionedpeople againstthose forceswhich were tryingto divide them.He said: “We areunited and would

remain that way. He urgedpeople to live with the spiritof Haryana Ek Haryanvi Ek”.

The Chief Minister saidthat all villages in Haryanawould be linked through theinternet and each villagewould have its own websitethrough which informationabout various developmentworks would be madeavailable to people. To beginwith, broadband facilitywould be provided in 2,500villages this year, he said.

Haryana Swaran Jayanti Panchayat Sammelan

...Continued on page 30


With the secondanniversary of thegovernment round

the corner, assessments of itsperformance will begin soon.Such assessments need to takeinto account the baseline atwhich this government began.Any progress must be judgedagainst this baseline.

In May 2004, when thefirst National DemocraticAlliance (NDA) governmentlost the election, it handed tothe United ProgressiveAlliance (UPA) an economythat had grown 8.1% duringthe preceding full year.

The UPA ruled till May2014, returning to NDA aneconomy that had grown just5% during its last full year(the new GDP seriessubsequently revised thisgrowth rate to 6.9%).

Under UPA-I, which ruledfrom 2004 to 2009, GDPgrowth averaged 8.4%. Whilethis was an impressiveperformance, there is nosatisfactory answer to thequestion what UPA-I did tomake it happen.

You can carefully scanBudget speeches and otherrelevant documents of UPA-Ibut, beyond continuation oftrade liberalisation andtrimming of the small-scaleindustries reservation list,you would find references to

few reforms to which thisperformance can beattributed.

Indeed, there exists anear-consensus amonginformed commentators thatthe economic reform processthat Prime MinisterNarasimha Rao (1991-96) hadlaunched and Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee (1998-2004) had acceleratedexperienced a sudden stopunder UPA.

Taking advantage ofrevenues that the highergrowth had made available,UPA-I (rightly) expandedsocial expenditures but(wrongly) did little to sustainthe high growth so essentialto continuing to growrevenues at a fast pace.

To its credit, with rareexceptions, UPA-I did notintroduce policies that wouldpositively damage growthprospects of the economy.Even the infrastructure(especially road) projects thathad been contracted out underNDA largely continued andwere completed on schedule.

Therefore, the potentialcreated by the Rao-Vajpayeereforms could actuallytranslate into 8% plus growth.

That, however, changedunder UPA-II, which ruledfrom 2009 to 2014. Denial ofclearances to major projectson environmental or othergrounds became endemic. Aflurry of corruption chargesagainst officers withreputation for unimpeachableintegrity froze the topbureaucracy and hence thedecision-making process. Sodeep was the freeze that adefinite change of courseunder the presentgovernment has still not fullyrestored the confidence of thetop officials.

Miracle Growth Will Return :The Modi government has been battling a flawed

inheritance in its first two yearsBy Arvind Panagariya

In May 2004, when thefirst NationalDemocratic Alliance(NDA) government lostthe election, it handedto the UnitedProgressive Alliance(UPA) an economythat had grown 8.1%during the precedingfull year.The UPA ruled till May2014, returning to NDAan economy that hadgrown just 5% duringits last full year (thenew GDP seriessubsequently revisedthis growth rate to6.9%).


C o u n t e r p r o d u c t i v elegislations such as those onretrospective taxation andland acquisition greatlyundermined investorconfidence.

Lack of proper oversightresulted in public sector bankslending vast sums of moneyto fund poorly conceivedprojects. Alongside, poorlyperforming loans were

routinely permitted to“restructure”.

Budgetary expenditureswere allowed to expandwithout regard to revenues,leading to large fiscaldeficits.

The result was that aneconomy, which had seemedunstoppable and had grownat the average rate of 8.1%during the first three years ofUPA-II rule, descended intowhat appeared to be a crisis.An Economist story (August24, 2013) gave a chillingaccount of what had

transpired: decline in thegrowth rate to 4-5%, inflationat 10%, current account deficitat 4-5% and a rupee that haddepreciated 13% during thepreceding three months. “Itis widely agreed the countryis in its worst economic bindsince 1991,” concluded themagazine.

Assertions bycommentators that economic

conditions today are nodifferent from when the UPA-II departed bear littleresemblance to the reality.Under the presentgovernment, the consumerprice inflation has been below5%, wholesale price inflationnegative and current accountdeficit in the 1-2% range.

While the global economyis struggling, growth rate inIndia has steadily climbed upfrom 6.9% in 2013-14 to 7.2%in 2014-15 and 7.6% (AdvanceEstimate) in 2015-16. Thefourth quarter Advance

Estimate for 2015-16 turns outto be 7.8%, a hair’s breadthaway from the magical 8%mark.

Foreign investors whohad been fleeing India in 2013have returned with foreigndirect investment rising 24%in 2014-15 over that in 2013-14 and 40% during April-December 2015 over thecorresponding period in 2014.

If certain sectors of theeconomy exhibit weakness, itis because they had been incrisis at inheritance andsector-specific adjustmentstypically take longer thanthose relating to the overalleconomy.

It may be recalled that theearly reforms under the Raogovernment had stabilised theexchange rate, inflation andcurrent account within twoyears and returned theaggregate growth rate to itspre-crisis levels. But a sharperbreak in the growth rate cameonly in 2003-04, after theeconomy had time to adjustmore fully to the Rao-Vajpayee reforms. Indeed, acommon refrain of manyreform critics in the early2000s was that the reformshad not led to a significantshift in the growth rate.

Keeping this experience inmind, make no mistake aboutwhat is to come. Much changein policy has taken place sinceMay 2014 and the miracle-level annual growth of 8.3%that India saw from 2003-04to 2011-12 is poised toreturn.(The writer is CEO, NITI Ayog)

Under the present government, the consumer priceinflation has been below 5%, wholesale price inflationnegative and current account deficit in the 1-2% range.While the global economy is struggling, growth rate inIndia has steadily climbed up from 6.9% in 2013-14 to7.2% in 2014-15 and 7.6% (Advance Estimate) in 2015-16. The fourth quarter Advance Estimate for 2015-16turns out to be 7.8%, a hair’s breadth away from themagical 8% mark. Foreign investors who had beenfleeing India in 2013 have returned with foreign directinvestment rising 24% in 2014-15 over that in 2013-14and 40% during April-December 2015 over thecorresponding period in 2014.


As many as 2,508 citiesin 26 states have beenselected under

‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’for providing affordablehouses to the urban poor, theLok Sabha was informed onMay 4.

As on April 25, 2016, atotal of 2,508 cities of 26 stateshave been identified asselected for Pradhan MantriAwas Yojana-Housing for all(Urban) Mission,” UrbanDevelopment Minister MVenkaiah Naidu said duringQuestion Hour.

He said as per the schemeguidelines, the houses underthe PMAY (U) mission shouldbe designed and constructedto meet the requirement ofstructural safety againstearthquakes, flood, cyclone,landslide etc. conforming tothe National Building Codeand other relevant Bureau ofIndian Standards Codes.

The mission also includesa technology sub-mission tofacilitate state technologies foradoption of layout designsand building plans suitable forvarious geo-climatic zonesand to deploy disasterresistant and environmentfriendly technologies.

The scheme comes withan aim of constructing morethan two crore houses acrossthe nation within a span ofseven years. The scheme,which was started in 2015,

would conclude in 2022.The target beneficiaries of

the scheme would be poorand people living under EWSand LIG categories in urbanestablishments of thecountry.

Replying anotherquestion, Naidu said it is theprimary responsibility of thestate governments to provideshelter for the urban homelesspeople.

In order to complementand supplement the efforts ofthe state and UTs, theMinistry of Housing andUrban Poverty Alleviation is

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana : 2,508 citiesselected under scheme for affordable housing

Government of India (GOI) has launched NationalSmart Grid Mission (NSGM), to plan and monitorimplementation of policies and programmes related toSmart Grid activities in India. This was stated by ShriPiyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal &New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a questionin the Rajya Sabha on 2 May, 2016.

The Minister further stated that an expenditure of Rs.21.73 crore has been incurred for development of fourSmart Grid pilot projects and one Smart City Pilot projectduring 2015-16. NSGM envisages implementation of SmartGrid projects in the country to make Indian Powerinfrastructure cost effective, responsive, reliable and selfhealing. Two smart grid projects for Amravati andChandigarh have been approved under NSGM, at a cost ofRs 118.63 crore with 30% funding from GoI under NSGM.The Budgetary support for NSGM activities for the FinancialYear 2016-17 is Rs.30 crore, the Minister added.

Smart Grid Projects

implementing a schemenamely ‘Shelter for UrbanHomeless’ as a component ofDeendayal Antyodaya Yojana– National Urban LivelihoodsMission for providingpermanent shelters with basicfacilities to urban homeless.

As per the informationreceived from the states andUTs, a total of 770 sheltershave been sanctioned bystates and UTs with a capacityof about 38,770 inmates. Outof this, 270 shelters with atotal capacity of about 11,900inmates are operational, hesaid.


Prashikshan Maha Abhiyan• Many efforts were made for expansion

and strengthening of the organisation andnew dimensions provided to the trainingprogramme being run in traditional style.

• New records created in trainingprogramme for workers/office bearers atzonal level. The participation in the MahaAbhiyan this year has crossed 7,76,067 andthe Abhiyan is still in progress. It is yet tobe completed in many more states.

• The party literature has been madeavailable in various regional languages forPrashikshan Maha Abhiyan

Different Departments and Prakalps ofthe party reconstituted

For the effective conduct of partyprogrammes at various levels differentDepartments and Prakalps were reconstitutedat national, State and district levels and theiractivities expanded. In this direction differentactivities were reconstituted in 19 Departmentsand 10 Prakalps were formed.

Departments1. Good Governance, Central and State

Government programs co-ordination2. Policy Research3. Media4. Media Relations5. Training6. Political Feedback and Response7. National programs and Meetings8. Documentation and Library9. Sahyog and Disaster relief Services10. Presidential Office, Tours & Programs11. Publicity Literature12. Coordination of Trusts13. Election Management14. Election Commission15. Legal Affairs16. Party Journals and Publication17. IT, Website and Social Media Management18. Foreign Affairs19. Life Time Membership Fund

Rashtriya Prakalp1. District Party office construction

In the National Executive meeting held inNew Delhi on 19-20 March 2016, GeneralSecretary’s report was presented by BJPNational General Secretary (Organization) ShriRamlal detailing the journey of the party inlast three years. The report covered the periodbetween 23 January 2013 to 24 January 2016.It is to be noted that Shri Rajnath Singh waselected as BJP National President on 23January 2016 and after he became the UnionHome Minister, Shri Amit Shah became theNational President on 09 July 2014. The periodsaw BJP getting massive victory in Lok Sabhaelections under the leadership of Shri NarendraModi. Apart from winning many state assemblyelections BJP also become the largest political party in the world. It was a momentous journey forthe party as it received huge support from the people and got the opportunity to play a historic rolein shaping the future of India. We are publishing the full text of the report in a series for ouresteemed readers:

Towards Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat…General Secretary’s Report : Part-4


committee2. Office mordenisation committee3. Construction of Library4. Construction of E-Library5. Swachhata Abhiyan6. Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao7. Namami Gange8. National Membership Drive9. National Maha Sampark Abhiyan10. National Training Programme

Organisational programme and publicservice work:

Because of recurring elections most of theprogrammes have remained election centric.Yet, some prominent programmes are asunder:-

Jankalyan Parva: In celebration of thecompletion of one year of NDA governmentled by Shri Narendra Modi on May 26, 2015 at206 places in 35 States of the country 4,82,170people participated in organizing pressconferences, exhibitions and public meetings.At most places the programmes were veryimpressive. At Deendayal Dham, Mathura (UP)the public meeting addressed by Prime MinisterShri Narendra Modi proved to beunprecedented which was attended by morethan two lakh people.

Raksha Bandhan (Insurance Parva): As apart of their zeal to promote women protectionBJP karyakartas all over the country celebratedRaksha Bandhan in which Jandhan accounts ofmothers and sisters were opened and thecommon man got insurance cover at just Rs. 12and Rs. 330.

31 October, 2015: In celebration of birthanniversary of Lauh Purush Sardar BallabhBhai Patel programmes like National UnityRun, garlanding of Patel statues, symposiums,and seminars, were organised on the day.

Public Contact Programme by MPs: Each MPand minister stayed for as long as 30 hours in 2parliamentary constituencies and organised publicdiscussions to make the achievements of theCentral government reach people in every nookand corner in the country.

Jan Swabhiman Abhiyaan: Programmeswere organised at all State and district

headquarters on January 18, 19 and 20 overthe incidents in JNU and HyderabadUniversities.

Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan: For 10 daysSwacch Bharat Abhiyaan was organised in allthe States of the country. A special programmewas also launched to end the curse of manualscavenging from every part of the country.

Mudra Yojna: So far loan amounting toRs. 99,468 crore to 2.7 beneficiaries wereadvanced for promoting self-employment.Party launched a special programme to helpsmall workers.

International Yoga Day: On June 15, 2015the whole world was swept by the Yoga spirit.The main function was held at Rajpath in NewDelhi in which Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi and top yoga gurus participated. 50,000men and women took part in the event.

Welfare Programmes for Poor: A one-daytraining workshop on the Role of MPs in EffectiveImplementation of poverty alleviationprogrammes was organised on April 19, 2015 inwhich useful tips were given to MPs to extendthis programme in their areas.

Special programme in organizationally andelectorally weak States for greater success: ACentral minister was specially put in charge tostrengthen the party organisation to meet thechallenges of elections in the States of Assam,West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,Telangana, Tamilnadu and Kerala.

North-Eastern States: A directcommunication was established with theKaryakartas in every district in all the Statesin North-East from April 16 to 28, 2015 andsuitable programmes for strengthening theparty were framed.

Sahyog: To meet party Karyakartasconcerning matters connected with the Centralgovernment a Union Minister is available from3 to 5 PM every day in the Party headquartersat 11, Ashok Road, New Delhi.

Good Governance (Sushasan) Day(December 25): On this day programmes wereorganised in every district and mandal in allthe 36 States of the country to publicise theachievements of the Modi government and in


States where BJP is in power.Agitational programmes: Agitations and

public meetings were organised againstscandals, corruption and lawlessness in theStates of Kerala, West Bengal, Uttarakhand,Telangana, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam.Hundreds of workers were injured andarrested.

National Executive Meeting: A meetingof the National Executive was held atBanglruru (Karnataka) on April 3 and 4, 2015in which "Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao"programme was adopted and it was resolvedto do away the curse of manual scavengingfrom all over the country. Workers all overthe country have vigorously involvedthemselves to make these programmes asuccess. It is expected that the curse of manualscavenging will be eradicated by the end of2016.At the Governance level:

Under the leadership of Hon'ble PrimeMinister Shri Narendra Modi the BJP-led NDAgovernment is committed to the welfare ofvillage, poor, army men and farmers. Ourrelations with our neighbouring and othercountries have strengthened on humanitariangrounds. This government has continuouslybeen on its toes to provide justice to the Dalits,

exploited, afflicted people and to accelerate theprocess of employment generation. Theprominent public welfare schemes launched bythe Central government during the last 20months are as under:-• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna• Pradhan Mantri Jan-dhan Yojna• Start-Up, Stand-Up India• PM Kaushal Vikash Yojna• Make in India• Digital India• Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao• Namami Gange Abhiyan• JAM - Jandhan-Aadhaar-Mobile• UDAY - Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna• Kisan Crop Insurance Scheme• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna• Issue of Agriculture Soil Health Card• Launch of Shramev Jayte Yoja for labour

and grant of minimum pension of Rs. 1000• Yog Divas (International Yoga Day on June

21)• Sukanya Smridhi Khata Yojna• Regular address by PM on radio (MAN

KI BAAT)• Announcement of establishment of 100

smart cities• 'Per drop, more crop' scheme.

To continue...

Shri Khattar listed out schemes for villages. “The government has made a budgetaryallocation of more than Rs 88,000 crore for rural development this year. It is 28 per centmore than last year,” he said.

He further said that under the social audit system, 11-member committees will beformed in villages to monitor, plan and execute development works. “The target is tomake every household free from kerosene by providing them with LPG connections,” hesaid, adding every family in villages would have concrete houses by 2022. Union RuralDevelopment Minister Shri Birender Singh announced that around Rs 2 lakh crore underthe rural development grant and like amount under the MENREGA would be providedto gram panchayats to give momentum to the Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan.

A booklet titled ‘Swaran Jayanti Varsh 2016-17’ was released during the programme.It highlighted the achievements of the state government.

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CONTENTS€¦ · BJP rally in Kuttanad, Kasaragod (Kerala) ... Vishnu. Now people celebrate Buddha Purnima with pomp and show by paying homage to Gautama Buddha. However,