BJP-RULED STATES KEEPING US BACKWARD: MODI’S CEO

NITI AAYOG BOSS ESPECIALLY LISTS BIHAR, UP, CHHATTISGARH, MADHYA PRADESH AND RAJASTHAN; THEREBY MOCKS AT PARTY’S SUSHASHAN AGENDA

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has opened a Pandora’s Box. He has said that the states in the eastern region -Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan -- are keeping India backward, especially on social indicators.

Incidentally, all these are BJP ruled states and by making such an admission Kant is virtually mocking at the allinclusive development model of PM Modi. It also lays bare the truth about the NDA government’s ‘sushashan’ (good governance) agenda. Kant, it seems, momentarily forgot that there is a BJP government at the Centre as well as in all these states.

In another indictment of his own government, Kant said that while we have improved the ease of doing business – again, PM’s much chanted mantra -- we have remained backward on the human development index.

Kant also admitted that southern and western India are doing relatively well and growing speedily. "But when the country's HDI has to improve, we have to focus on these social indicators,’’ he added.

Terming Kant’s statement as "unfortunate" and "irresponsible", Leader of Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Prasad Yadav took a dig at chief minister Nitish Kumar for maintaining a silence over the matter.

"Bihar CM Nitish Kumar should condemn Kant’s statement. He should tell people that Niti Aayog is lying to them... Why can't he muster courage to speak against the statement, which not only lowers the morale of the people but belittles the state's contribution to the nation's development?" he said.

"Biharis pay taxes, just like people in other parts of the country. The state gave 33 MPs to the NDA and seven Union ministers," he said, adding that the reason for the imbalance was lopsided economic policies.

Kant made the observations while speaking at the first Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Memorial Lecture at Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Stressing upon the significance of sustainable growth, the NITI Aayog CEO said, "Education and health are vital and in these two areas India is lagging behind. Our learning outcomes are poor - a class 5 student is not able to do class 2 subtractions. A Class 5 student is not able to read his mother tongue. Infant mortality rates are very high. Unless we improve on these aspects, it will be difficult to grow in a consistent way."

Kant said that while we have improved the ease of doing business – PM’s much chanted mantra -- we have remained backward on the human development index.

He also encouraged women to participate in the decisionmaking process. He said, "There must be a conscious effort to frame policies to give women opportunities."

The secretary of Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), Shaibal Gupta, said Kant should be sacked for his "reckless" statement.

‘‘It does not augur well that an important lieutenant of the government is making a statement with undertones of discrimination, at a time when the nation needs empathy and integration more than ever," he said.