NITI Aayog: States demand greater financial devolution, flexibility

New Delhi: Demands for greater devolution of funds to States from non-NDA Chief Ministers dominated the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired on Sunday at his 7 Race Course Road residence.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam pitched for higher flow of funds from the Centre to the states and demanded that States’ share of funding of flagship programmes be limited to 25 per cent only. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sought 90 per cent grants for central schemes saying Prime Minister Modi’s new mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ was not possible without provision of adequate resources to economically weaker states.

Kerela Chief Minister Oommen Chandy demanded that the Aayog continue with the functions the erstwhile Planning Commission performed — of determining, in consultation with the Union Finance Ministry and State Governments, the amount of resources to be made available to the States for Plan and Budget preparation. Mr. Yadav also stressed on continuation of Five Year Plans and said that the need in fact was for making even longer-term plans of 10- 15 years duration.

Noting that India cannot advance without all its states advancing in tandem, the Prime Minister said that he envisioned different states competing with each other in promoting governance initiatives, in a spirit of cooperative, competitive federalism, according to the official release. Mr. Modi said that though the world had started looking at India differently, the biggest challenge for the country still was how to eliminate poverty. He said jobs cannot be created, and poverty cannot be removed without growth. “First and foremost we should aim at a high rate of growth,” he said at the meeting, according to the official release.

Briefing reporters after the Council meeting, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: “States emphasised greater financial financial devolution from the Centre and greater flexibility in use of funds.”

He also said the Prime Minister announced that the Aayog would constitute three sub-groups of Chief Ministers. One, for recommendations of the 66 Centrally Sponsored Schemes which should be continued, transferred to States and shelved all together. A second sub-group for suggestions on how can the Aayog promote skill development in States. And, finally a third one for evolving a proposal on institutional mechanisms required for ensuring success of his pet project Swachh Bharat by way of integration into everyday life.

The Prime Minister also asked each State to set up two task forces under the aegis of the Aayog--one for focusing on the alleviation of poverty, and the other on agricultural development at the state-level with Central assistance.

The members of the sub-groups will be decided later, after Chief Ministers indicate their preferences.

Mr. Modi also urged States to build and upgrade toilets during the upcoming school vacations with the aim of ensuring that the target of toilets for all schools is achieved. He also suggested that a portion of the funds under the MPLAD and MLALAD schemes can be earmarked for cleanliness-related activities, until 2019.

The interaction was coordinated by Mr. Jaitley, and the opening remarks for the meeting were made by the Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya.

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Kiran Bedi staunchly denies BJP's defeat in Delhi polls, says wait for results

New Delhi: A day after the Assembly polls, BJP's Delhi chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Sunday staunchly denied that her party was facing first election defeat since storming to power last year, even though exit polls tipped Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to win Delhi elections.

“A survey is just a survey, we should wait for the 10th for the final result,” Bedi told the media.

As exit polls suggested the loss of face for BJP, Kiran Bedi said that she will claim responsibility for either loss or win in Delhi. “I am a person who always takes responsibility,” Bedi reiterate, ANI reported.

Yesterday, Bedi had said, “I will take full responsibility for results of Delhi.”

Exit polls released hours after voting ended yesterday indicated the AAP of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had comfortably beaten BJP.

However, Bedi had said that she would wait for results to be declared on Tuesday.

Kiran Bedi, 65, a former top cop, joined the BJP and politics last month and within four days was named the party's presumptive chief minister of Delhi.

The annointment of Bedi as the CM candiadate was considered as a masterstroke to counter Arvind Kejriwal.

But, if exit poll results turn true, victory for Kejriwal would mark a stunning comeback for the anti-graft champion who resigned following a chaotic 49-day spell in charge of the Delhi state government a year ago.

However, observers say a defeat for BJP will be a significant setback for a Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has enjoyed an extended honeymoon with voters since his landslide General Election victory.

PM Modi needs to win state elections in coming years to gain control of both houses of the national parliament, where he is attempting to push through reforms on land acquisition, tax and other issues to revive the economy.

All seven exit polls predicted another humiliating loss for the Congress party.

After being thumped at the General Election, Congress is expected to win just two seats, according to an average of the polls.

Most political pundits had written off Kejriwal after he resigned as chief minister, in part over failed attempts to get an anti-corruption bill passed in the assembly.

Notably, Kejriwal famously declared himself an 'anarchist' during his brief tenure last year and staged several street protests outside government offices.

But after apologising for leaving voters without an elected government for a year, Kejriwal was the star of the campaign, outshining former top cop Kiran Bedi who was the BJP`s pick for chief minister.

Kejriwal`s campaign has been based around promises of lower utility bills and free Wi-Fi for Delhi`s 17 million residents, as well as pledges to counter corruption.

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JD(U) accuses BJP of plotting split in party, BJP hits back

New Delhi: Grappling with a crisis within, JD(U) on Sunday accused BJP of plotting a split in the party, a charge denied by the saffron party which said the entire crisis was triggered by former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "obsession" for power.

JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi suggested that Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was working at the BJP's behest and said he had no right to attend the NITI Aayog meeting in the national capital as he no longer enjoyed the confidence of the majority of MLAs after JD(U) lawmakers elected Nitish Kumar as their new leader in Patna on Saturday.

Asked about Manjhi's scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening, Tyagi said, "The fact is BJP President Amit Shah is working overtime to engineer a split in our party, like he is doing with TMC. He has failed... " "If the need arises, we will parade 130 MLAs before the governor or even the President," he told PTI.

A belligerent Manjhi has refused to step down from the chief minister's post after terming the party's meeting yesterday "unconstitutional". He is said to be exploring possibility of getting the BJP's support to remain in the top post.

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A day before polling, Arvind Kejriwal performs yoga, Kiran Bedi prepares langar

New Delhi: A day before polling begins in the city, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, chief ministerial aspirants of the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party respectively, took to unwinding after a hectic campaigning spree.

While Kejriwal started his day by performing yoga and later visiting his local saloon for a haircut, Bedi prepared a ‘langar’ at a Gurudwara in Krishna Nagar, from where she is fighting the polls this time.

She also stated that she would celebrate with her party’s workers later in the day.

“I will spend my entire day with BJP workers, have worked a lot for the campaign, will celebrate today evening,” said Bedi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its campaign for the Delhi polls yesterday with a flourish, holding road shows in all assembly constituencies of the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on their part held a press conference, speeches and various road shows to convince the voters that they would give a stable government this time.

The polls, which are believed to be a direct fight between the BJP and AAP, have witnessed a fractiously divided support base for the two parties.

While the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, headed by controversial spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, pledged its support to the BJP, the All India Imam Association (AIIA) decided to back the AAP this time.

The AAP, which has come up with several promises this time for the betterment of Delhi, also got the support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat.

A total of 673 candidates are in the fray for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. Delhi goes to polls on February 7, while the results will be declared on February 10.

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Aberrations don't alter India's history of tolerance: Jaitley on Obama criticism

New Delhi: The ruling BJP on Friday responded to US President Barack Obama's criticism of religious intolerance in India when finance minister Arun Jaitley pointed out that no less a person than the Dalai Lama had found it comfortable to make a home in the country.

"India has a huge cultural history of tolerance. Any aberrations don't alter that history," Jaitley told a news conference in Delhi when he was asked about Obama's critical remarks about religious intolerance in the country.

"And the best example of (that) tolerance was sitting next to President Obama when he made the statement. That is His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is part of that tolerance that he found it comfortable and India found it comfortable to absorb him in the society here."

Obama has expressed his concerns about religious intolerance in India twice since last week.

On Thursday, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event, he said: "Religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs - acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation."

The US president first raised the issue shortly before he wound up his visit to India on January 27. Addressing a town hall meeting at Siri Fort, he had said, "India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith - so long as it's not splintered along any lines."

Radical Hindu groups said Obama's sharp parting shot was aimed at pleasing Christian missionaries and Islamic clerics. Union home minister Rajnath Singh was the first BJP leader to publicly comment on the issue on Monday, when he endorsed Obama's warning that an India divided on religious lines would not progress.

Singh also condemned the Sangh Parivar's conversion campaign, saying there is "no scope for any activity like ghar wapsi in the nation".

During the news conference, Jaitley too acknowledged the importance of tolerance in society. "That any society should be a tolerant society is a fact that each one has to accept. It is good to be tolerant," he said.

Following the strong reaction in India to Obama's remarks at the town hall meeting in Delhi, the White House had insisted that the comments had been "misconstrued".

Obama starker and more direct criticism at the National Prayer Breakfast, however, left no room for misinterpretation.

Mark Stroh, National Security Council spokesperson, clarified that Obama's message was that "freedom of religion is a fundamental freedom, and that every nation is stronger when people of all faiths are free to practice their religion free of persecution and fear and discrimination".

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