By SK.Vyas
CHANDIGARH,APRIL 28 – The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information and Broadcasting, Venkaiah Naidu, has urged the Opposition parties not to create hindrances in the development process, and play a constructive role to ensure overall growth and development of the country.
Naidu was addressing a press conference after presiding over a meeting to review various schemes of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information and Broadcasting here today. He was accompanied by the Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal, and the Urban Local Bodies Minister, Kavita Jain.
He advised the Opposition parties to shun negativity and be positive in the interest of the country. Describing the previous leadership in the country as directionless, he said rampant corruption prevailed under the previous government in the country. Now we have stable government under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has enhanced the country’s reputation the world over during the last three years.
This is making the people right from village to Parliament support Modi in his endeavors. The mood of the nation is to go with Modi. On the call given by the Prime Minister, as many as 1.4 crore people have given-up their LPG subsidy to benefit the poor, Naidu said.
Today the atmosphere has changed and the people now showing more hunger for development. Their mindset has changed and now the states are also demanding funds on the basis of their good performance. The Central Government has kept 20 per cent amount as an incentive to be given to states on the basis of performance. This would create a sense of competition among them, he added.
In reply to a question, Naidu said those who were raising fingers on the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) should not forget that they also won 67 seats in the Assembly elections with same EVMs. He urged them to desist from spreading false propaganda on this issue.
The Congress Party also needs to do introspection as to why their popularity and acceptance is diminishing day-by-day while that of
Modi is increasing. He asked them to remain constructive and understand the mood of the people.
In reply to another question regarding the Naxal attack at Sukma in Chhattisgarh recently, the Union Minister described the Naxals as people with outdated ideology who had no takers in the country. All political parties should come together to destroy these forces which are mercilessly killing the people.
Among others present included Haryana Chief Secretary, D. S. Dhesi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rajesh Khullar, Additional Principal Secretary, Rakesh Gupta, Secretary, Union Ministry of Urban Development, Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Nandita Chatterjee, and other senior officers of the Centre and state governments.