New Delhi, June 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke about a number of social issues in his monthly radio address but chose to avoid any reference to the political storm that has been generated by Lalit Modi issue for which Congress warned him that the issue will continue to “haunt” him.

CPI and AAP also attacked Modi for remaining silent on the controversy.

In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on radio, Modi refrained from speaking on politics or the recent controversies surrounding Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi issue which some quarters were expecting.

Among various topics, he talked about the girl child, voicing concern over the depleting sex ratio in 100 districts of the country, with the situation being more serious in Haryana. He pitched for a mass campaign to save the girl child.

During the 20-minute programme, he also spoke about the recently-launched three social security schemes and three developmental schemes, including ‘housing for all’ by 2022, as well as the Yoga Day celebrated on June 21. He also emphasised on the need for saving water and planting trees to preserve the environment.

Speaking soon after the ‘Man ki Baat’ programme was aired, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed disappointment over the “failure” of the Prime Minister to speak on Lalit Modi controversy.

His other senior party colleagues P Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh as also CPI’s D Raja and AAP leader Ashish Khetan.

“All over India, no one is ready to listen to ‘Mann Ki Baat….Everyone wants to listen to voice of people in the programme,” said Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

Taking a dig at Modi, Azad said he continued to be a “dream merchant” in the programme as he has been merely selling dreams in India and abroad.

“It is in the interest of the Prime Minister to take immediate action against those involved in corruption.

Otherwise nationally and internationally, it is going to haunt him wherever he goes,” he told reporters. .

New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party government today presented a Rs 41,129 crore budget with a major focus on education, health and transport sectors besides allocating funds to provide free wifi facility in colleges and villages.

Presenting the budget, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said his government will put major focus on reforming tax collection system and asserted that it will develop Delhi as a world-class skill centre and medical hub.

Calling it the country’s first “Swaraj” Budget, he said government has decided brought down the Value Added Tax rates for certain items.

Reaching out to the youth, he announced free wi-fi facility in all colleges as the AAP government’s first budget saw a 106 per cent rise in allocation to education sector.

He said the Budget document was a milestone towards achieving the ideal of “Swaraj” and a development model that was driven from the bottom instead of a top-driven one as it was prepared by the public at the ‘Mohalla Sabhas’.

In the budget, Rs 19,000 crore has been set aside for plan outlay while the non-plan outlay stands at Rs 22,129 crore.

“The government is working towards making Delhi the first corruption free city in the country,” Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio, said.

The government allocated Rs 9,836 crore for the education sector out of which Rs 4570 crore was given under the plan outlay, an increase of around 106 per cent over the last budget.

“This (increase) is probably a first in the country which indicates our commitment to the cause of education. For us it is not expenditure but investment,” Sisodia said.

He said the government was in the process of installing CCTV cameras in all classrooms of government schools across Delhi to bring in “transparency and accountability”.

“We are also trying to inculcate value in the education.

and education with skill and value. Fifty schools would be developed as model schools in this regard,” he said.

Stressing on skill development, he said Rs 310 crore has been alloted for skill development and proposed the establishment of a skill university.

As BJP faces more heat over the controversies surrounding four of its women ministers, the Congress and the AAP today staged protests here and demanded that they be sacked and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “inaction”.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are embroiled in a row over extending help to tainted former IPL boss Lalit Modi while HRD Minister Smriti Irani faced trouble with a Delhi court taking cognizance of a complaint against her for allegedly misrepresenting educational qualifications in her election affidavits. Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde is the fourth minister caught in a row.

Sharpening its attack on BJP after the emergence of a document backing Lalit Modi’s immigration application in the UK which purportedly bears Raje’s signature, the Congress said the party should ask the Chief Minister to step down as it can no longer “continue to defend the indefensible”.

“I am of the opinion that after what has now been made public, there is absolutely no scope left, no face left for BJP to manoeuvre and defend its leadership,” it said.

“There cannot be two laws in this country. One for common citizens and one for high-ranking BJP officials. Therefore… I think it is in the best interest of the state and also of BJP to ask the chief minister to put in her papers as soon as possible,” Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said.

Dismissing as being “lame” BJP’s claim that the signature in the said document are forged, Pilot said, “I don’t think it is possible for anyone to put up that lame an argument… And, if she had to deny the signatures, she should have done it perhaps in the beginning.”

Pilot’s remarks came amid reports that claimed that the signature on the affidavit to help Modi get UK stay permit indeed belonged to Raje putting the chief minister and the BJP leadership in a spot. There was no official word yet on the authenticity of the signature.

The BJP has rejected demands for resignation of the ministers.

Congress staged twin protests at Jantar Mantar and outside its headquarters and demanded the immediate resignation of Swaraj, Irani and Raje.

The protesters also tore an effigy of Irani and placards inscribed with messages that mocked the “farce” of her academic qualifications and warned the government against “toying with education”.

Scores of AAP workers staged a protest outside Irani’s residence demanding her resignation.

Congress’s Delhi unit chief Lalit Maken accused the prime minister of “inaction” in the wake of the raging controversies involving his party leaders.

He also raised the issue of allegations against Munde and accused her of “playing with the health of children”.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Munde, however, said “prima facie” there appears to be no discrepancies in the case involving her department, as alleged by the opposition.

Munde, who is the Minister for Women and Development, was at the centre of a controversy with the Congress accusing her of involvement in a “scam” by clearing purchases worth Rs 206 crore on a single day instead of inviting tenders in violation of the norms.

Mumbai, Jun 4 (PTI) Shiv Sena today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plain-talk on zero tolerance against religious discrimination was not aimed at “pro-Hindutva” forces and suggested that he might have on his mind those “bigots” who convert Hindus to their respective faiths by “deception”.

“Prime Minister has taken a strong view against extremists by saying that communal intolerance will not be accepted. But the question is for whom these comments were meant for. Modi’s statement is projected as it is meant for ‘anti-Hindutvavadis’ (pro-Hindutva forces) in certain sections. But, we don’t think that Modi had only Hindutvavadis in mind when he made those comments,” Sena said in its party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ today.

Modi had recently asserted that he won’t tolerate any discrimination or violence against any community and termed anti-minority comments by some Sangh Parivar leaders as “unfortunate” and “uncalled for,” which is viewed as his strongest response so far on growing incidents of hate speeches.

“Hindutva is a culture and it should not be overzealous.

But at the same time to convert tribal and poor Hindus to Islam or Christianity by allurement is also terrorism. Modi’s plain-talk is for such bigots,” the editorial said.

It said the Hindutva forces were very much active under the previous Congress regimes as well. “Had it not been so the Babri mosque could not have been demolished. Because of this Hindutva wave only the BJP could achieve its current position of power,” the editorial said.

Sena said Modi’s assertion also applies to those who convert tribal and poor Hindus to Islam or Christianity “by deception.”

The editorial said the recent attacks on churches opened Modi to criticism from Christian community across the globe.

“However, the real reasons behind attacks on churches and who were the culprits are still unknown. If these attacks (on churches) happened due to conversion row then Modi’s message was also for those who are indulged into conversion,” it said.

Sena said, “Modi’s comments were also directed to those who oppose the uniform civil code and those who oppose the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution. His comments also seem to be directed to (AIMIM president Assaduddin) Owaisi who is stoking (communal) fire. Modi has also taken on those (through his comments) who unfurl flag of Pakistan in Kashmir.

Kolkata, May 28 (PTI) Amid talk of bonhomie between the two, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning June 6.

“The Chief Minister will go along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh next month. We hope this visit will strenghten relations between the two Bengals (West Bengal and Bangladesh) and also between the two countries,” state’s Education and Parliamentary Affiars Minister Partha Chatterjee told PTI.

There was speculation in the media about whether the Chief Minister will accompany Modi on his first trip to Bangladesh after taking office.

Teesta water sharing issue is likely to come up for discussion during the visit. The Teesta deal was set to be inked during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September 2011 but was postponed at the last minute due to objections by Mamata.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Kolkata that India and Bangladesh would soon approve the long-pending Teesta river water-sharing agreement.

“Both the countries will give their approval to it very soon. We are hopeful that we will get full cooperation from West Bengal government”, Singh said.

Last week, Bangladesh had hoped that the pact will be inked during Modi’s trip.

The Teesta water is crucial for Bangladesh, especially in the leanest period from December to March when the water flow often temporarily comes down to less than 1,000 cusecs from 5,000 cusecs every year.

Asked if the Chief Minister had given her consent to the Teesta treaty, Partha Chatterjee said, “I am not aware of it and I cannot comment on this matter.

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”.