Cong did not launch tap water scheme ‘out of malice’: Minister
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday held the previous Congress government responsible for not implementing the tap water scheme in Rajasthan alleging that the party did not launch the scheme “out of malice”. The Congress, however, accused the Centre of “stepmotherly treatment” towards the state.
Shekhawat said that the central government provided funds worth ₹27000 crore but the previous Congress government did not work only out of malice because “they feared that the credit” for ‘Har Ghar Mein Nal Se Jal’ (tap water to every house) scheme will be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they deliberately kept in limbo.
Addressing a public gathering in Jodhpur, the Union minister said: “The scheme was started in 2019 and all other schemes were passed by the Centre till 2021, even after that the Congress government did not work on the tap water scheme. They did not implement it out of malice as they
feared that the credit for the scheme will go to PM Modi.”
He said that the maximum amount of ₹27,000 crore was allocated to Rajasthan, apart from this ₹ 13,000 crore was also approved in this budget.
The Union minister said: “Now a double engine government has been formed (referring to the BJP government in the state and at the Centre), hence there is no problem in implementing the scheme 100%”. He said, “At least
₹32,000 crore are left with the Rajasthan government. All the tenders related to the scheme have been passed and now only the execution of the work is left. Now it is guaranteed that in the coming few months the water crisis in Rajasthan will completely end”.
Urging people to continue supporting the Modi government, he said: “Modi’s rule needs to be continued, and we have to work towards this goal.”
“The public voted for Modi twice in 2014 and 2019... due to these votes Modi was able to change the country. The first vote ended the problems related to electricity, roads, gas connections in the lives of the poor, whereas the second vote given in 2019 solved the problems of the country for hundreds of years, which include Article 370 and construction of the Ram Temple,” he said.
“This time, to lay the foundation of a developed India, you have to cast your third vote and make Modi the Prime Minister once again,” he said.
Discarding the Union minister’s remarks, Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi accused him of giving a stepmotherly treatment to the state. Talking about the scheme, he said that the entire amount for it is not given by the central government.
“Under the scheme, the entire amount isn’t given by the Centre but is borne by both the central and state governments (in 45:55 ratio). The Rajasthan government had asked for a special grant (90:10) looking at the difficult geographical condition of the state.” he said.
He alleged that the central government gave special status to the North-Eastern states on geographical condition and the same was demanded by Rajasthan as habitats are at distant places. He said that the “Union minister knowing the situation didn’t help the state... this was failure on his party. Shekhawat did stepmotherly treatment with the state.”
The 25 Lok Sabha constituencies of Rajasthan will go to polls in two phases on April 19 and April 26.