Current economic situation challenging: Union Minister Sadananda Gowda
Bengaluru, Sep 12: Union Minister D V SadanadaGowda Gowda on Thursday said the current economic situation in the country was "challenging", but expressed the hope that the measures taken by the union government to address it would see India quickly progress ahead 'in a very short time.'
"In 2008-09 also we had seen global slowdown, but during the time of economic slowdown, the measures taken by the administrative machinery is important as it plays a crucial role.
I agree that our GDP, that was 8.2 per cent, has now come down to five per cent. This is certainly a challenge for the administration," Gowda said.
Pointing out that the union government has taken a slew of measures to address the situation like for the automobile sector,infusion of funds to banks and addressing of liquidity issues concerning MSMEs, he said these were to address the "notion of financial instability".
"Because of several such reform measures, in a very short time we will progress ahead," he said, noting that in the past too India had faced even more challenging times, but the country has "come back".
Gowda was addressing a press conference here to showcase the hundred days' achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA 2 government.
The more the employment is generated, the further push it would give to the financial sector, the Minister said and pointed out that the government was also giving an impetus to self-employment through schemes like Mudra loan.
To a question on the delay in release of central funds for Karnataka that was hit by incessant rains and floods, Gowda, who hails from the state, said it would be released at the earliest, but did not specify any time-frame.
SDRF funds to be released in December has already been released, he said, as he clarified that the Centre has not released any flood relief funds to any affected state so far.
"All major work for restoration and rehabilitation will only start once the rain stops.For immediate rescue and relief work, the state is using available funds," he said, as he expressed confidence that central funds would also be released at the earliest.
As many as 103 taluks in 22 districts were affected by the recent floods in many parts of Karnataka and the government has sought Rs 38,000 crore as relief from the Centre.
Rejecting the charges of the opposition and a section of the public that union Ministers and MPsfrom Karnataka "lack courage" to question the Prime Ministeron the "delay" in granting central relief,Gowda said "it is far from the truth."
He pointed out that during every cabinet meeting on Wednesdays, Ministerscan raise issues concerning their states with the Prime Minister directly.
"Last week also I had shared with him the information I had gathered from Karnataka On the situation in the affected areas."
BJP governments at both the centre and the state have been facing flak from the opposition Congress and JDS on the "delay" in grant of central funds, despite Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman visiting the affected regions.
The Opposition parties have accused the Modi government of showing its "apathy" towards Karnataka, despite the state sending 25 BJP MPs.
To a question on criticism of the steep fine amounts under the amended MV Act, Gowda said the intention behind the act was to control accidents and protect lives, but states can change it as they are the implementing authority.
He referred to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari's recent statement on the matter that accidents have drastically reduced after implementation of the act and new fines.
Gowda, the Minister for Chemicals and Fertiliserssaid his ministry has no plans to set up any new fertiliser plant.
The government was reviving four fertiliser plants at Ramagundam, Sindri, Barauni and Gorakhpur at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore and once operational, "we will able to fulfill the 22 per cent that we are importing right now," he said.
Noting that many private players have evinced interest in setting up fertilizer plants, he said the Karnataka state Marketing Federation has come forward to invest Rs 6,000 crore for a plant in Davangere and they were also in talks with a private player.
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Baramati plane crash: CID questions VSR Ventures owner
Pune (PTI): The Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department on Thursday questioned V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures, which operated the aircraft involved in the Baramati crash that killed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, a CID officer said.
“The statement of V K Singh is being recorded,” said the CID officer, without disclosing more details about the questioning, which was still underway.
A Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Pawar and four others.
After the plane crash, an accidental death report was registered at the Baramati Taluka police station, and the case was later transferred to the Pune CID. Earlier, the state agency had said that its focus was to ascertain if sabotage or criminal negligence led to the Baramati tragedy.
Days before V K Singh's questioning, the CID had sent a set of questions to VSR Ventures in connection with its investigation into the plane crash, according to a source.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had alleged on Wednesday that someone was trying to save VSR Ventures, and claimed that a preliminary probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) vindicated the doubts earlier raised by him.
In its 22-page preliminary report on the air tragedy, the AAIB said the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level. It also flagged fading marks on the runway and the presence of loose gravel on the runway surface.
A few days ago, Ajit Pawar’s son Jay Pawar had shared a purported video on social media alleging that V K Singh's son Rohit Singh was seen dozing off in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight, and demanded his immediate arrest.
He had also demanded that all aircraft of VSR Ventures be grounded till the inquiry into his father’s plane crash is completed.
