Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot has claimed that the Centre-State relations have improved and the foreign policy strengthened besides making rapid strides in the GDP growth rate during the three-year BJP-led NDA rule.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Mr. Gehlot, who was here to participate in the ‘Sabka Saath – Sabka Vikas’ programme, said that the GDP growth rate that was 4.4% during the 10-year Congress-led UPA Government from 2004 had gone up to 7% during the last three years.
Further, he said the adoption of budget from April 1, which was another bold step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, helped the Centre and the States start spending Central grants from the first month of the fiscal. Detailing the welfare schemes launched for various sections of people, in addition to developing infrastructure, he said the present regime had plugged the loopholes in the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act. It was also in the process of providing constitutional status to the BC Commission. Already, the Bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha was now pending before a select committee in the Rajya Sabha. The Centre would also consider categorisation of the Scheduled Castes in AP at an appropriate time, besides providing equal rights/status to the de-notified tribes and transgenders.
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Dig at Rahul
Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who was present, flayed AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his stance on the Polavaram project and Special Category Status. It was Mr. Modi who had initiated the Polavaram project at his first Cabinet meeting by merging seven critical mandals in Andhra Pradesh, he asserted. Not a single scam was reported during the last three years, Mr. Ashok said.
He also criticised the YSR Congress for its contradictory stand on the GST both in the State Assembly and Parliament. He said growth would be possible with collective efforts, and appealed to the people to cooperate.
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Later, they addressed a gathering at Anand Gajapathi Auditorium and partook in a community lunch at Jonnaguddi.
BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu translated Mr. Gehlot’s speech in Hindi into Telugu.
Mines and Geology Minister Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao, and TDP and BJP leaders were present.