We paid high cost for democracy for 70 years, time to reap dividends now: NITI head
New Delhi, July 3: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday said people have paid a "very high cost" for democracy in the last 70 years and it is now time to reap the dividends. He insisted that NITI Aayog, as a "principal change agent", can help garner those dues.
"We have paid a very high cost for our democracy in the past 70 years. It's very clear. Otherwise we could have...anyway. But now is the time when NITI Aayog will help us in earning the democratic dividend," Kumar said in response to a query by IANS on how NITI's role was different from the erstwhile Planning Commission.
"It is time to get the democratic dividend which would come from states competing for good governance and good delivery of public services and not by having competitive populism," he said.
Kumar said that the Aayog is a "complete new entity" as compared to the Planning Commission because it works as "partners to the states" and not as "people who hand out doles to the states".
"We, therefore, don't hold durbars in the NITI Bhavan. I have actually taken the trouble and met Chief Ministers of 21 states in their state capitals. I visit them. Completely the reverse of what Planning Commission used to be," he said.
Speaking about NITI Aayog not having any financial powers, he said it had the "power of ideas and the power to implement them".
"By the way, some of my friends tell me that I have come at a wrong time when the NITI Aayog has lost all powers to disburse money. But we have got the power of ideas and the power of implementing those ideas, both at the central level and much more at the state level, trying to get them (states) replicate the best practices," Kumar said.
"And here let me say -- and this is my wish and hope -- that if we go along the way we are going, on which the Prime Minister has been sort of directing us all the time to go, we will become one of the principal change agents in this economy," he added.
He said that the NITI Aayog has the potential and the ambition to do it.
"We can bring the states on the same page, we can make them compete with each other," Kumar said.
On the question of economy not creating enough jobs, Kumar said the allegation of "jobless growth" is "mithya" (falsehood) and has no substance.
He, in line with what the Prime Minister said recently, insisted that not enough data is available on the jobs.
Asked if the government is shifting the goalposts after four years by hiding behind the pretext of not having sufficient data on growth, Kumar said: "Not at all. We are not shifting the goalpost. My predecessor (Arvind Panagariya) had taken this up in a major way in the second year itself. It takes time to tackle such an important question."
"The decisions have been taken, the financial resources have all been allocated. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has already had a household survey in the field.
"The change in employment can only come when the first quarter is repeated in the 5th quarter. Then only you know the change Quarter-to-Quarter. Therefore it is taking time. But we will get the best data every year, not just once in five years," he said.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
