In a fierce attack against BJP MP and former Union Minister Jayant Sinha, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Tuesday alleged that the Raghubar Das led BJP government in the State not only plundered the exchequer, but also sold out precious assets of the State to benefit some industrialists.
Holding a press conference soon after Sinha’s press conference here on Tuesday JMM general secretary cum Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said that in the last five years’ rule of BJP gross financial mismanagement has taken place in the State.
“Money was siphoned off in the name of double engine government. We had issued a White Paper on the financial status of the State before this years’ State Budget. We had said at that time also that the economic growth rate of Jharkhand was 12.5 per cent when Raghubar Das led government took over in 2014, but when we formed the government in 2019 the economic development rate had gone down to 5.7 per cent,” he said.
“The BJP Government also took huge loans and sold off State property including PTPS to NTPC. The Excise department was outsourced, huge advertisements were released. Rs 400 crore were spent only on advertisements. Also, Rs 800 crore loss was incurred in selling liquor. Land registry at Re1 in the name of women was launched upto property value of Rs 50 lakh to benefit big land brokers. No poor person was covered in the scheme. If an audit is done no poor person will figure in the list. Also, in the name of mining lease Rs 4000 crore lost,” he added.
“Jayant Sinha was saying we should take loans. Why should we? Rs 18,000 crore GST scam: who is responsible for the same? The Centre owes us Rs 25,000 crore in GST, which it is not giving us. Only coal companies owe us Rs 65,000 crore for mining and land use. SAIL and Railways owe us Rs 75,000 crore despite that we should take loans! What a pitiable situation is this?” he asked.
The JMM leader said that Raghubar Ji took Rs 85,000 crore loan from Centre in the name of UDAY scheme for DVC, but DVC did not get a single penny. Now, the Centre has deducted over Rs 1,400 crore from State’s RBI account, he said.
“The treasury was looted during BJP rule. Even during the economic review meeting of eastern states in Bhubaneswar, where Niti Ayog and RBI representatives were present they said that the banking system in the State is faulty. There is a huge gap in CD ratio in the State. We had said that this should be stopped. The CD ratio limit was brought down to 40 per cent from 60 per cent. Today the debt on every Jharkhandi has gone up to Rs 24,000 from Rs 1200. Who will take responsibility for the same? Jayant Sinha should have read the white paper, which is with 25 BJP MLAs,” he said.
“Dhanbad and CKP Rail divisions give maximum revenue across the country. But, we have to pay two third amounts for completion of railway projects. The BJP wanted to sell everything and it sold also. It sold coal, land, human resources of Jharkhand to Adani and electricity will go to Bangladesh. PTPS was sold. Government land was given on lease,” said Bhattacharya.
