NDA govt's 8 yrs dedicated to country's balanced development, social justice: PM Modi
Jaipur(PTI): Eight years of the BJP-led NDA dispensation have been dedicated to the country's balanced development, social justice and social security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while asserting that people's faith in the government's delivery mechanism has been restored post-2014.
Addressing the BJP's national office bearers' meeting in Jaipur via video conferencing, Modi asked the party leaders and workers to launch a campaign to ensure that no poor, eligible beneficiary is left out of the government's welfare measures.
"This month, the NDA government will complete eight years. These eight years have been of resolutions and accomplishments. These eight years have been committed to service, good governance and welfare of the poor," he said.
Modi said that eight years have been of fulfilment of the expectations of small farmers, labourers and the middle class.
"These eight years have been of the country's balanced development, social justice and social security. These eight years have been dedicated to the empowerment of mothers, daughters and sisters," he said.
The BJP government post-2014 has restored the faith of the people in the government, its systems and its delivery mechanism, that had been lost earlier, the prime minister added.
Modi said the world is looking at India with great expectations today.
"Similarly, in India, the people have a special affection for the BJP. The people of the country are looking at the BJP with great faith and hope," he said.
After 2014, the BJP brought people out of despair and today people are full of aspirations, the prime minister said.
"This hope and aspirations of the people of the country increase our responsibility," he told the BJP office-bearers.
In the 75th year of Independence, the country is setting for itself the goals for the next 25 years, he noted, adding this is the time for the BJP to fix the goals for the next 25 years and to work continuously for them.
In an apparent swipe at the Opposition parties, Modi said some political parties keep looking for small incidents of tension to inject poison for their selfish interests.
"Attempts will be made to deviate you from the country's development issues but you have to stick to them," he told the BJP leaders and workers.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
