Modi government trying for kisan-mukt Bharat: Congress
New Delhi, Oct 3 : Flaying the Centre for waiving corporate loans totalling 3.17 lakh crore instead of those of farmers, the Congress on Wednesday accused the Modi government of trying to create a "kisan-mukt Bharat".
Condemning the Tuesday's police crackdown on protesting farmers on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, the Congress questioned the government's "indifference" towards the demands of farmers who have been protesting across the country.
"The Modi government has become a symbol of cruelty against farmers. It seems it is trying to build an India free of farmers and its slogan is 'loot kisan and hit kisan," said Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala here.
Citing a Reserve Bank of India report, he said that the government waived loans totalling Rs 3,17,000 crore of a handful of corporates between April 2014 and April 2018 but it has no time to pay heed to the long-standing demand for farm loan waiver.
Blaming the NDA regime for aggravation of the agrarian crisis in the country, the Congress questioned Modi and his government about fulfilling the 2014 promise, including that of cost plus 50 per cent profit to farmers.
"Since independence, no government has ever imposed a tax on agriculture. Then, why the Modi government has imposed Goods and Services Tax on tractors and agricultural implements, insecticides, and tractor tyres and spare parts?" it asked.
The party accused the government of breaking the backbone of farmers by steeply hiking
prices of diesel and fertilisers.
The Congress also alleged that the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme has become a profit-reaping scheme for private insurance companies.
"In 2016-17 and 2017-18, the Modi government collected Rs 19,000 crore through agricultural cess. But the farmers under the Crop Insurance Scheme received a compensation of only Rs 5,650 crore whereas the companies made a profit of Rs 14,828 crore through premium," Surjewala claimed.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
