Dasmunsi asks Modi to come out with white paper on Central aid

Ahmedabad, Jan 16 (UNI) Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today lashed out at Chief Minister Narendra Modi for carrying out a ''malicious campaign'' that the UPA government at the Centre was treating Gujarat in a biased manner.

Stating that the UPA government had always been just and fair, he asked Mr Modi to come out with a white paper on the Central aid that Gujarat had recieved in each sector during the NDA regime and in the past two-and-half years' of UPA reign. ''Things will be clear then to all. He is misleading the people by carrying out this malicious campaign,'' he told mediapersons here.

He said the Centre had given Rs 500 crore to Gujarat for the floods this year, even before an assessment had been done by a team of experts. ''We also had supported the state government on the issue of raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam, on rehabilitation of 2001 earthquake victims, and on other occasions.

Does this show any bias?'' he asked.

Mocking Mr Modi for ''flaunting'' Gujarat's achievments on industrial scene, he said, ''After Dr Manmohan Singh took over as Prime Minister, the industrial climate in the country has brightened. It was due to the official initiative taken by the Centre on tax reforms, fiscal discipline, banking regulations and other heads.'' ''We are all for Gujarat's progress. It is a part of India's progress. We do not look at things always from the political angle.

But the Chief Minister should not take all the credit and use it for his personal gains,'' he emphasised.

In a lighter vein, he said now Mr Modi should change his name to Mr MoUdi, referring to the MoUs signed by various corporates pledging investment in the state during the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat summit.

Mr Dasmunsi had been to Devgarh Baria where the Congress is holding a four-day ''Jan Mitra'' camp, to spread awareness about the Centre's schemes for the tribals and the forest dwellers.

He expressed dismay that the Gujarat government had been slow in the implementation of the Tribal Sub Plan. ''This has been stated in a Planning Commission document,'' he said.

He also alleged that three fully-aided Central schemes, like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Rajiv Gandhi Rural electrification schemes had not been properly implemented. ''I was very disappointed with the way things were in the state,'' he said.

Mr Dasmunsi also took a dig at the RSS, saying it had no business to talk about 'Bharatiya Sanskriti'. ''Khaki shorts and black caps are not part of Indian tradition, rather dhoti and white caps were.

So RSS should not be taking about our culture,'' he said, in reply to a query.

UNI