Skip to main content

Anti-Modi campaigner alleges funds meant for cultural ties with NRIs being misused to "propagate" Gujarat

By Our Representative
A senior human rights campaigner has alleged that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is misusing Gujarat government’s NRI funds to “export” ministers, police officers, IAS bureaucrats and senior government functionaries to other Indian states in order to “propagate” Gujarat’s progress. Well-known anti-Modi crusader Shabman Hashmi, in association with several Gujarat-based activists Mahesh Pandya, Hemant Shah, Manan Trivedi and Gautam Thakker, said this while releasing documents which state that the government's NRI funds, meant to establish cultural ties with non-resident Gujaratis living abroad, are being illegitimately used for Modi poll propaganda.
Calling this “shocking”, Hashmi read out government documents which said funds for Modi’s “programme” in other states -- including for his ambitious Statue of Unity project for building world’s tallest building in the memory of Sardar -- should be “drawn and debited from Demand No 33 Account Head 2052-Secretariat General Services, 090-Secretariat (5) Non-Resident Indian Department –Grant-in-aid allocated under Account Head 3135- Grant in aid to others for organizing programme.”
“According to information available with us 172 Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of state, MPs, MLA, mayors, deputy speakers, chief whip, deputy whip, and panchayat presidents have been deputed to travel across the country. Apart from these 116 government officers including IGs, collectors, chief conservators of forest, deputy secretaries, information officers, principal secretaries, chief general managers, police superintendents, DIGs, DDOs, DCP and many other officers have also been deputed by the government to propagate Gujarat progress story in various states”, Hashmi said.
The documents with her, she said, “has made special exemption for officers who are not entitled to travel by air to travel by flights”. Thus, the general administration department’s (GAD’s) government resolutions (GRs) issued on November 15, 2013, one of which is called “No BNG/102013421(2)-NRI”, says, “Permission is hereby granted for air travel in economy class in case of necessity as special case, by relaxing Gujarat Civil Service (Traveling Allowance) Rules, 2002.”
The purpose, a GR said, is to allow “air travel to the office bearers who are part of the delegation and not otherwise entitled for air travel as also in case of members of teams of administrative officers and if so required, by officers/employees of Non-Resident Gujarat Pratisthan for visiting other States for dissemination of information on ‘Statue of Unity’ project under ‘Sadaa Kaal Gujarat’ programme.”
The GR further states: “For the purpose of meeting expenditure to be incurred on accommodation, lunch or dinner, local transportation and other contingency expenditure in relation to the program would be required during visit of high level delegation and officers/employees of administrative team to respective State, permission is hereby granted to place at disposal of Liaison Officer of respective team an amount of Rs.5.00 lakhs (Rupees five lakhs only) as advance.”
Hashmi said, release of functions form the state’s NRI funds fun counter to the functions of the NRI department, as the Gujarat government website http://www.nri.gujarat.gov.in/objective-nri-fond.htm says the “objectives of the NRI division” is to “establish effective communication with NRIs of Gujarati origin in various parts of the world, prepare and maintain a comprehensive database about NRIs of Gujarati origin” and to “study from time to time social and cultural issues of NRIs of Gujarati origin and take steps to formulate schemes for meeting their requirements.”
Other functions include:
· To take effective steps to survey and assess the technical and professional skills of NRIs and to dovetail the same in the developmental efforts of the State.
· To create a database on NRGs (Non Resident Gujaratis), highlighting the professional areas of interest.
· To enable Government of Gujarat and its agencies to communicate with NRGs with relevant interest.
· To facilitate Government of Gujarat to initiate steps to address specific needs of NRGs in different fields.
· To tap the technological, managerial and financial resources of the NRI so as to upgrade the technical and professional skills and the human resources of the State, for the economic and industrial development of the State.
· To channelize the savings and surplus financial resources of the NRI in to the developmental efforts of the State for mutual benefits.
· To monitor the general welfare of the NRI and in times of crisis identify specific problems of Gujarati NRI groups and take up the same with and through Government of India.

Comments

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.