Pro-capitalist central government does not understand the pain of public: Ramanath Rai
All India Bandh on September 10 against fuel oil prices, support sought
Mangaluru, Sept 08: The central government, which is pro-capitalist, does not understand the pain of the common people. The burden of petrol and diesel prices is increasing on the people. The Congress, which responds to the plight of common people, has decided to observe bandh and hold protests across the country on September 10, said Senior Congress leader Ramanath Rai.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said that all the organizations in Dakshina Kannada district should be part of the Bandh, which will be observed from 10 am to evening.
“There are plenty of examples to say that the central government is in favor of capitalists. The central government is giving many reasons when it comes to controlling the rising prices of petrol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to power at the center by alleging that the Congress is the main reason behind the price rise, had promised in his speeches that ‘achhe din will come to India.’ He had said that the petrol-diesel prices would reduce. The value of the rupee would be higher than the dollar, but now the country has realized that they all were false promises, Rai said.
“The central government has failed to control the price rise of daily needs. It should be remembered today that when the oil prices were high in the global market during the UPA government it had succeeded in controlling fuel prices," Ramanath Rai added.
Protest condemning the central government's Rafale scandal on September 11
Condemning the Rafale deal scandal that caused a great loss to the country’s treasury, a protest march would be held from Balmatta Shanti Nilayam to Deputy Commissioner's office on September 11; Ramanath informed.
Former MLA JR Lobo, Mohiuddin Bava, MLA Ivan D'Souza, Senior Congress leader Ibrahim Kodijal, Mamata Gatti, Shashidhar Hegde, Vinay Raj, Kavita Sanil and others were present.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Prez nod for FIR against AAP's Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain in Rs 2,000-cr classroom 'scam'
New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools, sources said.
In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance directorate recommended a probe into the alleged scam and submitted a report to the chief secretary.
The President has given her approval for registering the FIR against Sisodia and Jain in connection with the alleged scam during their tenures as ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, the sources said.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted "glaring irregularities" in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to "enquiry or inquiry or investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties".
Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of carrying out a witch-hunt against its political rivals.
The BJP has no interest or intention to fulfil the promises it made to the people of Delhi. Its only agenda is to carry out a witch-hunt against its political rivals to stifle the voice of people, the former minister said in a statement.
The BJP-led central government has already decided to prosecute every political adversary of the party and grant approvals to move the case forward but it should wait for the judicial process to begin, he said.
In July 2019, BJP leader Harish Khurana and then AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, now a minister in the Delhi government, lodged a police complaint about the alleged scam.
According to a report prepared by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government, the complainants alleged that there was a scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms and school buildings in Delhi. The work was done at a highly inflated cost by the Delhi government.
The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms.
The ACB report said the total expenditure incurred for constructing the classrooms and school buildings was around Rs 2,892.65 crore. They were allegedly constructed at the rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas it was common knowledge that the average construction cost (even for a builder of flats) was around Rs 1,500 per square feet.
The total cost for constructing a classroom and school building, according to the tender awarded, was allegedly around Rs 24.86 lakh per room, whereas such rooms are easily constructed in Delhi at around Rs 5 lakh per room, it said.
The prices were increased almost five times to defraud the taxpayer by siphoning off money from the public exchequer in the garb of construction cost, the report said.
Even for a 5-star hotel, top ultra-luxury quality construction is around Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per square feet, it said.
The complainants submitted a copy of documents in which information received under the RTI Act in respect of the construction of 18 classrooms in the Govt Girls Senior Secondary School, Nathupura, Burari (school ID:-1207111) revealed that they were constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the ACB report said.
