12-20-2007, 09:04 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJP CMs say no to UPA's 'communal budgeting'Â </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The BJP-ruled States on Wednesday blasted the Centre for incorporating a special 15-point programme for minorities in the draft paper for the 11th Five-Year Plan claiming it amounts to budgeting on communal lines. Â
A day after the BJP high-command asked party ruled States to oppose the "communal budgeting" factor that the UPA Government was trying to incorporate in the Five-Year Plan, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi demanded a review of the programme that stipulates earmarking 15 per cent of targets and outlays under various schemes for minorities.
<b>"It should be reviewed in the interest of maintaining the social fabric of the nation," </b>Modi said at the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting was convened to approve the draft paper for the Five-Year Plan.
Modi went on to add the "discrimination" among the beneficiaries based on their minority status will not help the cause of taking the people of India together on the path of development.
"The correct criteria for flow of funds for various schemes and programmes should be based on the principle of equity by taking only socio-economic criteria alone, he suggested, adding, "implementation of such schemes should be left to the State.".
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also rejected the proposal saying poor have no caste or religion; hence only the economic criteria should be the basis for allocating funds for welfare schemes. "This is an example of vote bank politics and it is being done only to appease Muslims," Chouhan told mediapersons.
Echoing similar views, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said the focus of the Plan document should be on poverty rather than on specific communities. "Poverty is the biggest problem and the Eleventh Plan should address it effectively and the focus should not be on communal lines," he said.
Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, however, dismissed the Muslim appeasement allegation as "BJP propaganda" and welcomed the document saying it generated a lot of hope for the country, specially in the agriculture sector.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is worse, are they planning to divide country or another way to attract people to convert to get benefits.
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The BJP-ruled States on Wednesday blasted the Centre for incorporating a special 15-point programme for minorities in the draft paper for the 11th Five-Year Plan claiming it amounts to budgeting on communal lines. Â
A day after the BJP high-command asked party ruled States to oppose the "communal budgeting" factor that the UPA Government was trying to incorporate in the Five-Year Plan, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi demanded a review of the programme that stipulates earmarking 15 per cent of targets and outlays under various schemes for minorities.
<b>"It should be reviewed in the interest of maintaining the social fabric of the nation," </b>Modi said at the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting was convened to approve the draft paper for the Five-Year Plan.
Modi went on to add the "discrimination" among the beneficiaries based on their minority status will not help the cause of taking the people of India together on the path of development.
"The correct criteria for flow of funds for various schemes and programmes should be based on the principle of equity by taking only socio-economic criteria alone, he suggested, adding, "implementation of such schemes should be left to the State.".
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also rejected the proposal saying poor have no caste or religion; hence only the economic criteria should be the basis for allocating funds for welfare schemes. "This is an example of vote bank politics and it is being done only to appease Muslims," Chouhan told mediapersons.
Echoing similar views, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said the focus of the Plan document should be on poverty rather than on specific communities. "Poverty is the biggest problem and the Eleventh Plan should address it effectively and the focus should not be on communal lines," he said.
Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, however, dismissed the Muslim appeasement allegation as "BJP propaganda" and welcomed the document saying it generated a lot of hope for the country, specially in the agriculture sector.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is worse, are they planning to divide country or another way to attract people to convert to get benefits.