MODI GOVT CLEARS AIR ON KEJRIWAL’S CLAIMS Monday, 10 March 2014 | PNS | GANDHIN Reacting to the accusations of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Gujarat’s development, the Gujarat Government spokesperson finally came out with a clarification on the issues raised by the AAP leader on agriculture, education, healthcare, electricity and issues of Sikh farmers etc. The State spokesperson said that unlike Kejriwal’s charge the condition of Gujarat’s farmers has improved a lot and is rather becoming more prosperous. “Due to adequate electricity as well as innovative schemes on drip irrigation, soil health card and water conservation, Gujarat’s area under cultivation has in fact increased. Against the national average of 3.46 per cent agriculture growth rate, Gujarat has achieved almost 11 per cent growth rate,” said the spokesman. According to a Press communiqué, Gujarat is producing almost 30 per cent of the country’s cotton, 32 per cent groundnut and 78 per cent castor. Denying the claims of hundreds of farmers’ death in the State, the Modi Government affirmed that from 2003 to 2012, only one farmer’s death has been reported which was infact due to failure of crop. “Other deaths were not related to farming but their personal reasons like illness, family and social reasons.On Sikh farmers’ issue, the State Government clarified that from 1964 to 1984 as many as 454 Sikh farmers were given land in Kutch district, for rehabilitation. “All these farmers are still holding the land given to them. So there is no question of any ‘discrimination’ against Sikh farmers. The Government has also frozen 784 land accounts in the State under the Act passed by the Congress Government. These include 164 farmers from Punjab & Haryana, 108 non-farmer Gujaratis and 512 hailing from other states” said the communiqué. Clarifying Kejriwal’s charge on supplying Narmada water to industrialist at the cost of farmers, the Modi Government said that through Sardar Sarovar scheme nearly 1.12 lakh hectors of land would be given water, for irrigation purposes, in Kutch district alone. Of the nine million acre feet water, only 0.2 per cent water is being given for industrial purposes, says the spokesman. Answering another accusation, that Gujarat Government was taking farmers’ land at cheap rates to help industrialists, it said, “Land acquisition process in the State is being done within the purview of ‘Land Acquisition Act’. Industrialists are being given waste land and not farmers’ land. Before deciding rates of the land, a scientific process is conducted by the experts taking various aspects — like market rates, approach to highways etc — into consideration.” The State Government also tried to clarify other accusations on education infrastructure, plight of Government healthcare system, rampant corruption in the State, issue of small industries and electricity.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 06:05:43 +0000
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