JOIN USThree NDA ministers came under the criticism of Lok Sabha MPs on Thursday for their “evasive replies” to questions raised in the House.
The three ministers found wanting were Santosh Gangawar, Krishnapal Gurjar and Upendra Kushwaha. The unease of the opposition and some treasury bench members began with the second question raised by two MPs — Shiv Sena’s Adhalrao Patil Shivajirao and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi — on the revised technology upgradation fund scheme (TUFS).
Raising a supplementary question, Owaisi demanded that states be given the option to channelise funds since, under TUFS, money is provided directly through eligible units to lending agencies.
Minister of State (Independent) for Textiles Santosh Gangawar replied that there was no discrimination among states and that the scheme is available in places that are home to trade.
States do not give economic help, Gangawar pointed out by stressing that southern states are doing well in this field and elaborated on textile park scheme of the government.
Asaduddin Owaisi charged that Gangawar was “confused” since he was “mixing” textile park issue with the TUFS. The minister’s subsequent replies did not satisfy Owaisi who sought the Speaker’s intervention. Other members were seen nodding their heads and waving their fingers to express their discomfort with the minister’s statement. Later, even the Speaker indicated that the minister was going off on a tangent.
BJP MP from Sasaram Chedi Paswan, too, nudged Minister of State for Transport Krishnapal Gurjar. Paswan said making the six lane national highway from Mohan Sarai in Varanasi to Aurangabad of Bihar should have been completed by March 8. “Though only 20 to 25 per cent of work has been done on this stretch, the company has illegally collected toll to the tune of Rs 500 crore,” he charged.
Gurjar said the deadline could not be met due to delay in land acquisition and getting environmental clearances.
He, however, did not explain the illegal toll collection immediately. He later clarified that on giving contract to upgrade four lane road to six lane, the private contractors were allowed to collect tax.
Jhunjhunu MP Santosh Ahlawat put forward an enquiry about whether water would be brought to certain tehsils in her constituency through the Kumbha canal lift project.
MoS for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation Upendra Kushwaha responded by saying that 258 villages are to be benefited under the scheme. A dissatisfied Ahlawat pointed out that she was asking about tehsils and not villages.