Why are you so against welfare schemes for poor? KTR asks Modi

Hyderabad: In a scathing attack on Central Government’s campaign on freebies, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring welfare of the poor and sought to know the expenditure details of borrowings sourced by the union Government. Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s debt was Rs. 56 lakh crore. But […]

Hyderabad: In a scathing attack on Central Government’s campaign on freebies, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring welfare of the poor and sought to know the expenditure details of borrowings sourced by the union Government.

Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s debt was Rs. 56 lakh crore. But the Modi Government alone borrowed more than Rs 80 lakh crores. Yet, the rising inflation and escalating prices of essential commodities were breaking the back of the people, he said.

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Recently the Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) issued a severe warning that 37 per cent of the country’s annual income was being spent towards payment of interest for the money borrowed by the Modi Government, the Industries Minister said in a statement issued here on Friday.

According to Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, the Central Government should not borrow more than 40 percent of the GDP, but the Modi Government had already incurred 54 percent of its debt, the CAG reported.

“The CAG has warned that if the situation persists, there is a risk of country’s economy collapsing” Rama Rao stressed.

Not one mega irrigation project was built nor any other national level construction was taken up. The Central Government has not even introduced a single welfare scheme to benefit the poor of the country, he said, wondering “Where the lakhs of crores vanished? Prime Minister Narendra Modi is right person to answer this question”

Taking serious objection to the Prime Minister’s opinion on freebie culture, the Minister said during the last eight years, the Central Government had ignred welfare of the people.

GST was being imposed on essential items like milk and curd and under Modi Government’s rule, poverty had increased substantially. “India now ranks at 101 among 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index – which is a matter of shame. As per the Central Government statistics 35.5 per cent of children born in the country are malnourished” Rama Rao said.

While, the Central government borrows lakhs of crores as debt and fails to make good use of the amount, it spews venom on State Governments for introducing different welfare schemes for the poor, he said. Wondering what exactly was freebie in the Prime Minister’s opinion, the Minister said free electricity, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, were providing some succor to farmers. The Central Government, which lacks vision for farmers’ welfare, had introduced draconian anti-farmer laws, he said.

The Industries Minister sought to know why the Prime Minister was against supplying one kg rice for a rupee to BC, SC, ST and minority communities, which were the poorest. The Prime Minister was against providing free meals in schools, establishment of Gurukul schools and free food and accommodation for poor children, he lashed.
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Mission Bhagiratha were being appreciated by experts, he said and asked the Prime Minister “Do you consider these schemes as waste of money.”

It was unfortunate that Central Government’s fails to support the textile sector but Telangana Government launched several welfare programmes for weavers. “Will Netannaku Cheyutha, Nethannaku Beema, Bathukamma sarees will be considered as freebies?” he asked. He asked the Prime Minister to spell out his opinion on Dalit Bandhu scheme, which was introduced for socio-economic upliftment of the downtrodden. Kalyana Lakshmi, Shadi Mubarak schemes were a blessing to poor parents to perform wedding of their daughters. Should these schemes be abolished, he questioned.

The Prime Minister considers waiving loans of the poor farmer as a freebie while the Central Government proactively waives off loans of corporate giants. “Isn’t it true that BJP Government has given corporate tax concessions worth about Rs. 3 lakh crore in the last three years” asked Rama Rao.

Reminding the Prime Minister that India is a “Welfare State” as written in the Constitution, he asked whether the BJP ruled States would cancel all the welfare schemes. Will there be a law or a constitutional amendment in the Parliament to cancel all the welfare schemes that were being implemented by various States and the Central Government the Minister asked.

“After hoisting the national flag on the Red Fort, I hope you will make your stand clear on the welfare schemes for poor, in your address to the nation,” urged Rama Rao.