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| Edited By: Sanjay Jog |Source: DNA |Updated: May 23, 2017, 07:52 AM IST
A veteran BJP leader and Union Minister of Roads and Highways, Nitin Gadkari speaks in an interview with Sanjay Jog on the three-year rule of the BJP-led government, the Opposition's allegations of indulging in communal politics and the upcoming Presidential election. Excerpts:
Let me be very clear that the government is sincerely pursuing its 'sabka saath sabka vikas' motto. We are not indulging in communal politics, and neither do we discriminate against anybody on the grounds of caste, creed, religion or language. It is quite unfair to link the BJP with persons dressed in saffron and organisations responsible for some incidents of cow vigilantism and violence. There was no relationship between the two. Stern action will be taken against those taking the law into their own hands. There is a well-planned strategy to defame the BJP-led government at the Centre and in various states. The anti-Hindutva lobby, communists and anti-nationals are running a campaign as they are unable to accept the BJP's sterling performance and uninterrupted rise across the country. Fear is their capital. They are creating fear in the minds of the backward classes and minorities. It is an example of vote-bank politics.
The Congress is yet to swallow its defeat and therefore criticises the government every now and then. It is suffering from frustration. Mahamta Gandhi had advocated that the Congress party should be dissolved, though this was not implemented by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. However, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi seems to have taken Mahatma Gandhi's suggestion seriously and is working tirelessly to fulfil it.
It is totally wrong. It was the Congress-led UPA government that had practised vendetta politics during its 10-year rule. The government targeted me (income tax notices were served to the Purti Group, which Gadkari founded, in 2013). However, I was subsequently cleared. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav should stop blaming the government for the recent raids by investigating agencies. The law will take its own course.
The Centre's revenue rose to Rs 20 lakh crore from Rs 13 lakh crore after the Modi government took over in May 2014. I expect the government's revenue to surge to Rs 28-30 lakh crore. The economy will grow two-folds. Demonetisation was successfully implemented, while various initiatives, including Made in India, Make in India, Digital India, Start Up India and Stand Up India, are being actively pursued. Besides, a slew of steps were taken to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and research.
Furthermore, the government is making all efforts to boost capital investment in infrastructure, agriculture, rural development and other sectors. We now have a surplus of power and coal, except for coking coal.
The government has proposed to further increase agricultural growth. Our target is to increase farm growth to 14 per cent at the national level in the next two years. For the first time, the government has allocated Rs 75,000 crore for irrigation, of which Maharashtra can get a record Rs 36,000 crore. This will help further irrigate 5 million hectare of land across India.
More importantly, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be launched from July 1. It will be a game changer and GST will help completely demolish the number two economy (parallel economy). The government's revenue will increase manifold, as also the growth rate.
The government has by and large made efforts to boost social and economic transformation.
Whatever the Congress-led UPA government could not achieve in 10 years, the NDA government has done in just three years. Government decisions will help India's emergence as a global power.
Road contracts worth Rs 16,000 crore have already been awarded and this has become an entry in the Limca Book of World Record. Per-day road construction was increased sharply to 23 km from 2 km, while all efforts are being made to hike it further to 40 km a day. As of date, investment of Rs 6.5 lakh crore is being made on roads, highways, ports and shipping. Besides, the ministry has proposed port-rail connectivity projects of Rs 2 lakh crore. Moreover, investment of Rs 16 lakh crore is estimated in the shipping sector, of which Rs 6 lakh crore is being proposed for port modernisation, mechanisation and road and rail connectivity. Works worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have already been started. The rest is in progress. Ports have recorded a profit of Rs 5,000 crore.
So projects worth Rs 34 lakh crore — comprising Rs 16 lakh crore in the ports sector, Rs 15 lakh crore in the road sector and Rs 3 lakh crore in the automobile sector — are being proposed. These investments will help increase GDP by 2-3 per cent in five years.
As far as the upcoming presidential election is concerned, no discussion has started yet within the party. However, the BJP, on its part, is prepared to build consensus.
The RSS chief has already clarified that he is not keen to be a presidential candidate.
