Patna, May 27 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government was celebrating its one year in office only on the basis of promises made to the people without allocating funds, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said.

“Nothing new has happened in this one year of Narendra Modi government in office,” Kumar said questioning the rationale behind celebration of NDA government’s one year in office.

Alleging that the NDA government was discriminating against Bihar, Kumar said all preparations had been completed for the construction of a six-lane bridge over the Ganga at Kachhi Dargah in Patna.

But instead of making available funds for the project as promised, the Centre was now talking of handing over the project to it, Nitish said.

Likewise, only promises were being made for Gandhi bridge over the Ganga, considered the life line for north Bihar, the CM said at a function here.

“Its election year in Bihar and several promises will be made. But, where is the fund for roads?” Kumar questioned while taking potshots at central ministers moving around in Bihar praising achievements of Narendra Modi government.

“The Centre shall make it clear whether Prime Minister Gramin Sadak yojna (PMGSY), MGNREGA will continue or not,” he asked.

Rural Works Department minister Shrawan Kumar said a sum of Rs 11,000 crore would be needed for building rural roads under PMGSY scheme.

“But, due to non-availability of funds, the condition of roads is becoming pathetic,” the minister said adding his department was constantly drawing attention of the Centre towards this but no result has come so far.

New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today hit out at the Modi government saying it was “harping” on corruption to divert people’s attention to non-issues and asserted that he never used public office to “enrich” himself, family or friends.

In a scathing attack, Singh said that institutions of democracy are under threat and the entire edifice of the welfare state is now being dismantled in the guise of promoting faster economic growth.

“As far as I am concerned, I can say in all humility that I have not used my public office to enrich myself, to enrich my family or my friends. And still the BJP government keeps on harping on this theme of corruption because it wants to distract the attention of the people to non-issues,” he said in a hard-hitting speech at an event here.

His comments came in the wake of former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal’s allegations that Singh had warned him of harm if he did not cooperate on 2G telecom licenses. Baijal, who was probed for several years in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, also claimed that the CBI wanted him to “implicate” Arun Shourie and Ratan Tata in the case.

Asserting that many of UPA’s programmes were being repackaged and marketed as initiatives of the BJP government, Singh said, “What the BJP had opposed when we were in power are now being sold as its contribution”.

Rejecting criticism of “policy paralysis” in the UPA, he said when his government left, India was the second fastest growing economy in the world and noted there was a “fragileness” in economic recovery under the current dispensation.

“The past is continuously being rewritten to promote a highly biased and communal view. Dissent is being suppressed,” Singh said.

“Institutions of democracy are under threat. The entire edifice of the welfare state is now being dismantled in the guise of promoting faster economic growth, whereas they are two sides of the same coin,” he said.

The Congress party has tried hard to ensure that India flourishes as an open pluralistic, liberal secular democracy proud of its composite heritage, he said.

“This very idea of India is now under systemic assault.

We must understand how this assault is being mounted and then come up with out response,” Singh said. .

New Delhi: The war between the Centre and Arvind Kejriwal for control over Delhi is moving to the Supreme Court.

Sources in the Union Home Ministry say the Centre has decided that it will challenge in the top court the victory scored recently by Mr Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of the capital.

Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court tagged as “suspect” a notification issued by the Centre that placed vast limits on the Chief Minister’s authority. The Centre said key decisions on the Delhi Police, land, and the appointments of bureaucrats are the sole prerogative of its representative in the capital, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, who is not obliged to consult the Chief Minister on these issues.

Mr Kejriwal has said that document was a naked play by the BJP to govern Delhi by proxy.

A two-day emergency session of the Delhi Assembly called by him seeks to formally reject the Centre’s instructions. Given that Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party holds 67 seats, and the BJP just three, the outcome holds little suspense.

Since his first and brief term as Chief Minister in February last year, Mr Kejriwal has shared a jagged relationship with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, who he has accused of underhand political maneuvering designed to give the Centre, led by the BJP, an unwarranted authority in Delhi.

Their chafing scaled up to monster proportions about two weeks ago, when the Lieutenant Governor proclaimed he would decide the assignments of senior bureaucrats. Both men then declared postings decided by the other as invalid; the ugliness of the tit-for-tat peaked when a bureaucrat found himself locked out of office.

Mr Kejriwal has made it clear that he wants to campaign for statehood for Delhi, which, as a union territory, is governed partly by the Union Home Ministry.

Delhi government on Monday said it would provide a subsidy of Rs 15,000 to e-rickshaw owners on registration of their vehicle with the transport department and also announced 1,880 new buses to strengthen public transport in a few days.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai made the announcements at the AAP government’s open Cabinet session at Central Park here and said that 10,000 buses would be added to the DTC fleet in the next five years.

“More than 24,000 e-rickshaw drivers have been given driving licenses and PSV badges after we took office. We have also decided that e-rickshaw drivers would be given Rs 15,000 from the government’s part for every new registration.

Delhi’s lifeline are its buses. In the recent past, with a special purpose, the whole DTC fleet was brought to its knees. No new buses came in the last three years so 1,880 buses will be bought in the next few days and the department is working on that,” Rai said.

Rai said that as per the suggestions of all the MLAs, the department had decided to run 70% of those buses in the outer Delhi areas. “1,380 big buses and 500 small buses would run outer Delhi areas”.

Referring to the NGT order that banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying on Delhi roads, he said the government has decided to strengthen public transport, that he said would also reduce air pollution.

“We have decided to strengthen the public transport network to a great extent so that people are not forced to take private cars. 10,000 new buses would run in Delhi’s roads in the next five years that would include advanced, standard floor buses and that would make Delhi pollution free.

“We have written to the LG/DDA and other authorities to help us procure land for new depots,” he said, adding 1,000 new contractual drivers would be recruited in the coming days.

Rai said that his department and DMRC were working towards providing a common mobility card to commuters. The minister said that the government will take care of the concerns of auto rickshaw drivers while warning them of action against harassment of passengers.

The minister also assured that economic rights of labours will be protected. “If any labour’s economic right is snatched by middle-men and contractors we will taken action. Labour department has run a special drive to make sure that the culprits are put into Tihar,” he added.

In order to improve health care facilities, the AAP government said that it would increase the bed capacity of government hospitals from existing 10,000 to 20,000 in next two-and-a-half years.

Addressing a gathering at ‘Janta ki Cabinet, Janta ke Beech’ on completion of 100 days of Delhi government, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that out of 20,000 hospitals beds, government will set aside 3000 beds for emergency and ICU.

“At present, Delhi government has hospitals having a capacity of 10,000 beds, but in next two-and-a-half-years, we will increase from 10,000 beds to 20,000 beds which could never be done in past 65 years. Government has prepared a plan of this project,” Jain said.

“We have got to know that in Delhi, people have to spend Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh for using ICU beds every day. In view of this, our government has decided to set aside 3000 beds for emergency and ICU out of 20,000 beds in government hospitals,” he also said.

The minister said that health department will open separate four branches of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, GB Pant Hospital, Guru Nanak Eye Centre, Maulana Azad Dental College and Delhi Cancer Institute in the national capital.

“For example, if you want to get your eyes treated at Guru Nanak Eye Centre, but it falls far from your house. Keeping this in view, government will open four branches of Guru Nanak Eye Centre across the city so that people will be benefited,” Jai said.

The government also announced expansion and improvement of infrastructure of government educational institutions with more teachers along with formation of a committee to regulate private schools admission and fees.

Addressing a gathering at ‘Janta ki Cabinet, Janta ke Beech’ on completion of 100 days of Delhi government, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that “during this budget we will formulate a policy for private schools admission and fee.

There were flaws and loopholes in law to regulate and control fees and admission of private schools.

“We will amend the law and give power to our officers. We will also form a committee to regulate private schools soon. This will happen soon and the public will not have to face problem due to it,” said Sisodia. He admitted that that there is a shortage of teachers in government schools at present.

“In one year, we will give 20,000 teachers to the government schools. Even guest teachers will be permanent after taking their examination. Those of you not found fit will not be made permanent,” Sisodia said.

He further said that government is mapping each government schools and identifying problem areas in terms of infrastructure. “We have started working on each school after doing mapping. I assure you that when schools reopen in July, they will find substantial change in their school building,” he said.

Claiming that government is moving towards AAP party’s poll promise of opening 500 schools in Delhi Sisodia said, “we will open 100 model schools which will also have auditorium, lab and other modern facilities. We have started construction of 45 schools across Delhi and also planning to run double-shift in 75 schools. We have also identified land for 60-70 schools.”

The Education Minister also announced that government is installing CCTV cameras in each school and classroom.

Talking about higher education, Sisodia said, “Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) is a premium engineering institute and we have decided to make it a university. At present, 4,000 students study here and soon it will be made available for 12,000 students. We will open a vocational and sports university.”

Government is also planning to roll out a scheme for educational loans. Sisodia said that government is also working to ensure healthy and nutritious food to school students through mid-day meals.

Sisodia said its fight with the Centre was for the people and against corruption, which it claimed has “heavily come down” during its 100 days in power in Delhi.

At its ‘Janta ki Cabinet, Janta ke Beech’ event to mark the completion of 100 days of AAP government in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said their biggest achievement lay in curbing corruption in the city, which had also seen them end the “transfer posting industry” here.

“Yes, we are fighting, but we are also working. We are not fighting for personal gains, but for the people’s rights, their benefit, and against corruption.

“If the public would not have given us more than 36 seats, then we would not have completed 100 days. We are here to tell the people of the city what we are doing to fulfil the duty given to us by them,” said Sisodia.

Talking about AAP’s stand against corruption, Sisodia took a jibe at corrupt officials, saying that they are “courageous” as those caught taking bribes would be sacked.

“Corruption has heavily come down in the city. So far, 51 such courageous officers were arrested for taking bribe.

Earlier, honest officers were called courageous, but now corrupt officers are being courageous in taking bribes as the government is so strict against them,” he said.

Also Read: Kejriwal says AAP will take back powers Centre took away

Sisodia also said that the AAP government had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support in the fight against corruption.

“We went to meet the prime minister before taking oath and told him that people have given him and us an historic chance through a full majority. Let’s work together in fighting corruption,” he said.

Referring to the “transfer posting industry” in Delhi, the deputy chief minister said, “I am in charge of service department, which is responsible for the posting of officers in Delhi government. Many people approached me for posting as SDM in the Saket and Mehrauli areas. I got nine such cases within a month.

“As I was not aware of it, I enquired with my team, who told me that at the SDM-level, one can make maximum money in the revenue department at these locations.

“I decided not to appoint corrupt officials but deployed new, honest officers. Sub-registrar used to pay Rs 40 lakh for a posting for a year. If a man is paying Rs 40 lakh for his posting, then he will only take bribe.”

New Delhi: The Aadmi Aadmi Party (AAP) government has called an emergency meeting of the Delhi Assembly on May 26 and 27, reports said on Saturday.

The meeting has been called by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to discuss MHA notification over the distribution of powers between the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the Delhi Chief Minister’s office.

The Kejriwal government had also sought the opinion of legal and constitutional experts over the notification.

The MHA had issued the notification on Friday stating that the Lieutenant Governor has primacy in postings and transfers of officers belonging to Central services.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had reacted strongly to the notification, saying that the NDA Government at the Centre was trying to run the national capital through the ‘backdoor’.

Kejriwal had also stated that the notification was indicative of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) nervousness about the Aam Aadmi Party’s anti-corruption efforts.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had also criticised the notification, terming it as an attempt to “save the transfer-posting industry being run in Delhi”.

Bengaluru, May 23 (PTI) In a stinging attack on the one-year rule of NDA regime, Congress today accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “murdering democratic institutions” in India and running a “one man government”.

Presenting a five-chapter report card on the Modi dispensation, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said “MODI refers to Murder Of Democratic India” with its “maximum governance becoming maximum arrogance and minimum government becoming one man government”.

“Chapter one refers to MODI – Murder Of Democratic India; …in the last one year he has completely bypassed the Parliament, he rarely comes to Parliament, he was not present when constitution amendment bill on GST was voted in Lok Sabha,” Ramesh told reporters here.

In the last one year, of the 53 bills presented in Parliament, only five had gone to the standing committee, when normally all bills go to it, he said.

Ramesh described the five chapters of the report card as “murder” of democratic institutions, maximum governance becoming maximum arrogance and minimum government becoming one man government, turnaround becoming U-turns some positive some negative, repackaging of UPA programmes and sharp reduction in allocation for social sector schemes like health, drinking, water and sanitation.

“This in short is what Mr Modi has accomplished in the last one year,” he said.

The Congress leader also said that the “judiciary is threatened” citing Modi’s words at a conference of Chief Justices presided over by Chief Justice of India H L Dattu about “five star activists”.

He also lambasted the government on the delay in the appointment of Chief Information Commissioner and Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

In a frontal attack on Modi government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today accused it of trying to run Delhi through “backdoor” to protect the corrupt and said it had “back-stabbed” the people of the city by issuing a notification “siding” with the Lt Governor.
Hours after the Home Ministry issued the gazette notification saying it was not mandatory for the LG to consult the Chief Minister on matters like appointment of bureaucrats, Kejriwal said it showed the nervousness of BJP and the Centre over the anti-corruption efforts by his government.
The Chief Minister charged that Jung is just the face and the orders to him are coming from the PMO. “Pre-independence, Queen of England used to send notifications to the Viceroy here. Now, Jung Sahab is the Viceroy and PMO is London.”
He said the AAP government was taking views of constitutional experts on the notification and a decision will be taken accordingly.
Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia alleged that the development showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were “kneeling down” before corruption and the “thriving transfer-posting industry” which the AAP government had stopped in the last three months.
“Earlier, a lot of money was changing hands for transfers but now that has ended under AAP government’s three-month rule. Once we did it, Congress and BJP people failed to get contracts in Delhi. Then they went to the PMO.
“Now, they have brought this notification as the BJP and Congress want to have their own officers in Delhi and get government contracts for their own people and that is why they want control over the transfer-posting industry through the LG. By bringing in the notification, the Centre has back-stabbed the people of Delhi,” the Chief Minister told reporters.
In the gazette notification issued today, the Union Home Ministry said that the LG will have jurisdiction over matters connected with services, public order, police and land and he may consult with the Chief Minister whenever he thinks necessary in issues of services using his own “discretion”.
Kejriwal pointed out that it also said that anti-Corruption Branch police station shall not take any cognisance of offences against officials, employees and functionaries of central government services and wondered who were the people Modi government was “trying to protect”.
He said such actions amount to promoting corruption.
Claiming that his government is the “most honest” government in the history of Delhi, Kejriwal said Jung has “never asked about water or electricity supply for the people of Delhi. He is only interested in transfers and postings.”
The Delhi Chief Minister said “Modi government is trying to run Delhi with three BJP MLAs through backdoor.”
The appointment of senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as acting Chief Secretary by LG last week had triggered a full-blown war between the ruling AAP and the Lt Governor, with Kejriwal questioning the LG’s authority and accusing him of trying to take over the administration.
The Chief Minister, who had recently written to Modi on the issue, also alleged that the main crux of the notification lies in its last paragraph which says that the Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi government can’t take any action against central government employees.
“Our government has brought corruption down in its last three months. 36 officials have been arrested and 52 have been suspended. There is terror among corrupt officials and our government is the most honest in the history of Delhi.
“Now, the Centre wants that if ACB sees any sort of corruption by its central government employees, it should overlook it,” he said.
Earlier in a tweet, Kejriwal said “BJP first lost Del elections. Today’s notification shows BJP’s nervousness abt our anti-corruption efforts. BJP again lost today(sic)”
Reacting to the notification, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that it has become clear through this notification that the “Delhi’s transfer-posting industry” is afraid of AAP government.
“By this notification, it is clear that how the transfer industry of Delhi is afraid of us,” Sisodia said in his series of tweets.
“Through this (notification), it is being made efforts to save transfer-posting industry,” he said.

RJD chief and former CM of Bihar Lalu Prasad on Thursday hit out at the Narendra Modi-led government and gave zero marks to it which completes one year on May 26, arguing that it failed to help farmers in distress or provide jobs to the youth.

“I would give minus zero marks to the one-year-old Modi government,” Lalu told the media minutes before leaving for Delhi to meet Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and JD-U president Sharad Yadav over the merger of the six parties of the Janata Parivar.

He said Modi’s government has failed to help farmers suffering because of crop loss, and has not been able to bring back black money stashed abroad.

He also accused the BJP-led NDA government of failing to provide jobs to the youth or providing a sense of safety and security to minorities.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief said people have been disappointed and left in lurch by the Modi government and said that they will teach Modi’s government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a lesson.

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today launched a publicity blitzkrieg marking one year of the Modi government saying it has eliminated political and governmental corruption, put the economy back on track and accused the Congress of adopting obstructionism to growth.

Maintaining that the BJP-led NDA government has created an environment of enthusiasm in which decision-making process has become transparent, he said the government’s decisiveness in the face of obstructionism has been its hallmark with speed of taking decisions.

Addressing the first of the two dozen press conferences to be addressed by union ministers throughout the country, Jaitley asserted that the country is getting investment and there is a need to ensure ease of doing business and expand economic activity to achieve double-digit growth.

At the 90-minute media interaction, Jaitley, who is also the Information and Broadcasting Minister, answered a number of questions on economy and politics and how the government dispelled the general environment of gloom that prevailed during the UPA regime which encouraged crony capitalism.

He expressed confidence that the controversial land bill will be passed in the next Parliament session because “the numbers are clear”. Similarly, the indirect taxation reforms measure Goods and Service Tax (GST) will be passed in the next session.

The Minister, who is also the media face of the government, disapproved of the remarks made by his ministerial colleague Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who had said those who want to eat beef could go to Pakistan or any other country.

He dismissed opposition criticism over the overseas visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his visit to 18 countries in the last one year has earned for the nation a special place in the world. .

Patna, May 18 (PTI) Amidst doubts over the fate of Janata Parivar merger following comment by a senior Samajwadi party leader, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today categorically said that the chapter is not closed.

“The chapter is still not closed,” he said.

Kumar, who was speaking to reporters, was seeking to cap the doubts and raging debate over the fate of Janata Parivar merger in the wake of the statement by Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav that merger was not possible before the Bihar assembly polls due to technical issues.

Kumar said he would suggest Mulayam Singh Yadav to convene a meeting of the merger committee soon to “clear the air and end the public debate over the matter.”

Kumar, who is playing a significant role in the merger, said as per his knowledge there is no technical hitch.

“But, if some technical issues have been raised as bottleneck they should be sorted out in a meeting of six members of the committee constituted in the last meeting to look into formalities like a common symbol and flag etc,” he said.