Narendra Modi accuses Centre over subsidy for beef exports

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated the charge that the Centre was promoting beef exports by providing subsidies even while levying duty on cotton exports.

Speaking at the 4th Annual General Meeting of the Jain International Trade Organisation here, Modi said "The UPA government allows subsidy to open slaughterhouses, whereas cotton farmers are levied duty for exporting cotton".

He alleged that to facilitate mutton exports, tax is waived off for five years, but Income-Tax (I-T) notices are sent to companies which want to invest in Gujarat.

"The union government does not want another green revolution and white revolution, but wants to promote pink revolution," Modi alleged, adding that he had to approach the Supreme Court to get a law enacted to ban cow slaughter.

He said that it is possible to bring change within the system if motives are noble, intentions are clear and policies are coherent.

He said that when he took over as chief minister, the revenue deficit was Rs 6,600 crore and today without raising a single tax, the state is revenue surplus.

Referring to the grid crisis which plunged majority of states in Northern and Eastern India into darkness, Modi said that even when the media was reporting it, Gujarat received uninterrupted power supply.

He said that 18,000 villages in Gujarat have been enjoying broadband connectivity for the last three years.