Skip to main content

Activists "unearth" misuse of public funds, flouting of rules during Modi's sadbhavna festival in 2011-12

By Our Representative
Gujarat-based activists have said that there was a “fraudulent use of public money” between September 2011 and February 2012, when Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s 34 sadbhavna programmes, claimed to create a harmonious inter-community relations in Gujarat, took place. Alleging that the programmes, in which Modi would observe day-long fast for symbolic “purification”, reflected Modi’s ”arbitrary nature of functioning and total disregard for written provisions”, the activists said, “Evidence on record shows huge funds were diverted from government departments for personal gain and projection of Modi keeping the next year’s state elections in mind.”
Saying that the first three sadbhavna programmes, starting the one at Ahmedabad on September 17, 2011, were held “illegally”, without any approvals or following government rules and regulations, the activists, in a statement issued in Ahmedabad, said, “Neither the CM nor his government had any planning for them; they had no clue even one month after the programme of what it was going to cost.” The activists alleged, Modi “diverted” funds meant for Central schemes by sighting a “general circular which suggested promotion of communal harmony programmes in states.”
Saying that the state assembly, the Gujarat governor and people in general were “deliberately misled about the actual expenditure”, the activists pointed towards how “legal procedures and authorization” were flouted. They added, “As per Constitutional Article 266-267-283(2) and provision for contingency fund and Gujarat Financial Rules 1971, such expenses are misappropriation of public money. The accounts have not been settled till date.”
They said, Modi announced “huge projects for development of the host districts during sadbhavna programmes. Many of the projects were already part of the local bodies’ budgets. Other projects like automation of solid waste management, re-carpeting of roads, afforestation, fire brigade expansion, housing schemes for urban poor, funds mainly came from the Centre’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).”
Further, “the announcements like the beautification of Aji and Nyari dams on public-private partnership model were also ongoing projects. In Porbandar, Modi announced a Rs 281crore package for three main projects – a new drinking water supply network, an underground sewage pipeline and a housing scheme for the poor. All three projects were going on for a while and were part of the JNNURM.”
The activists said, while sadbhavna programme began on September 17, 2011, Modi’s birthday, only 25 days later, on October 12, 2011, a meeting was held in the General Administrative Department (GAD) in which Gujarat chief secretary and other officers were present. The estimated expenditure of the sadbhavna fast was calculated as roads and buildings Rs 30 lakh, the district collectors Rs 8 lakh, state transport Rs 20 lakh, and information and publicity Rs12 lakh. Ever since, there were various estimates floating around in the corridors of power of the amount spent on sadbhavna.
On November 5, 2011, wide letter No CNF/1111/433/k, a sum of Rs 3 crore was set aside from the contingency fund for sadbhavna. “The sanctioned money should have been regularized in the budget session in March 2012 when the 2012-13 budget was presented. There was no mention in the budget of this expenditure”, the activists who released the statement – Prof Hemant Shah, senior columnist Prakash Shah, Mahesh Pandya of Gujarat Social Watch and Gautam Thakkar of the People's Union for Civil Liberties – said.
On February 24, 2012, only “a supplementary statement was made in the assembly. In this it was referred to as ‘new service’. All MLAs should have been given details of new service three days prior to placing it in the assembly, and the state assembly should approve the supplementary demand of ‘new service’. No such procedure was followed.”
Interestingly, while the budget for 2013-14 found no mention of sadbhavna, the activists said, “The supplementary statement for 2012-13 presented on February 20, 2013 suddenly gave an additional estimated expenditure of Rs 15.48 crore”.
There have been other discrepancies as well. “On February 24, 2012 an MLA asked a question in the assembly regarding funds given to each district for sadbhavna, and the answer was Rs 5 lakh each to Jamnagar, Navsari, Patan, Tapi, Narmada, Kutch, Bhavnagar and Vadodara districts, and Rs 4 lakh to Porbandar”, the activists, said, adding, “A year later, the GAD passed a giving funds to district collectors – Jamnagar Rs 20 lakh, Navsari Rs 12 lakh, Tapi Rs 15 lakh, Narmada Rs 20 lakh, Vadodara Rs 20 lakh, Porbandar Rs 20 lakh, Dangs Rs 20 lakh”!
Then, a letter from the Gujarat governor’s secretary on March 22, 2012 stated the spent amount from various departments was Rs 1.57 crore. “However, data unearthed on the basis of original documents suggest that the total expenditure was Rs 12.83 crore”, the statement said. Of this, the expenditure on bringing people to attend sadbhavna in state buses alone was Rs 11.14 crore.
“The amount was spent on buses which brought people to sadbhavna, tents, halls, light, phone, skull caps, CCTV, printing, advertising, and so on. Suggesting that this is just tip of the iceberg, the activists said, “We do not have any documents regarding other expenditure regarding food and a lot of other things -- gifts, the CM’s travel by helicopters etc”, it concluded.

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.