Cong asks govt to disclose Rajyotsav spendings

Raipur, October 17, 2012

Alleging that the BJP government was once again planning to squander mega bucks in Rajyotsav 2012, Congress on Wednesday asked it to disclose the aggregate expenditure model for the state festival this time.

“It is high time the people should know how much the government is planning to spend in Rajyotsav. After all, it is a public festival, not an event of handful of ruling party members. Unfortunately, the government always misuses Rajyotsav forum for its advantage,” said Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla.

“The Rs seven crore-budget for Rajyotsav is merely a tip of the iceberg as the on calculating the spendings of all the departments the total budget inflates to fifty times the given one. According to assessment of Congress, the state fest budget will be over Rs 200 crore. Rajyotsav has rather become corruption fest for the ruling party,” he said.

“Rajyotsav will be celebrated in Naya Raipur this time. For this, massive pavilions would be made in about 100 acre land. Rs 50 crore will be spent in global investors’ meet. Several crores will be spent in advertisements. Rs 50 crore will be spent in displays and exhibition at pavilions of government departments. The budget for meals and refreshments is likely to cross Rs ten crore. The spendings on different programmes and awards would be over Rs 50 crore. Free conveyance for public will cost about Rs five crore while electricity expenditure for seven days will be over Rs 20 crore. The spendings on security will be about five crore while the PWD, PHE and Forest department will spend more than Rs 50 crore. Since, the government has pressed the entire machinery from officials to employees in Rajyotsav preparation, the spendings on them will cross Rs 20 crore,” he said.

He suggested that the government, instead of spending mega bucks on Rajyotsav 2012, should have used the fund in enhancing potable water and medical facilities in Sarguja and Bastar divisions.

“This would have been true state festival for the people of Chhattisgarh. The government could have also disbursed appropriate compensation to the farmers for acquiring their agricultural lands for Naya Raipur,” Shukla said.

He said the 12^th anniversary of the state would have been memorable for the farmers if the government had disbursed them their pending Rs 3880 crore paddy bonus.