New Delhi: Trinamool Congress Assam chief, Ripun Bora, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on alleged scams that took place under the BJP-led NDA government’s nine-year rule. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, the former Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson of TMC said PM Modi, in his Independence Day speech, declared a crusade against corruption, but his “silence” over “serious financial irregularities” that have allegedly come out in the latest Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report was “surprising”.
Bora said that PM Modi needed to look within before levelling corruption charges against Opposition leaders.
The CAG report, according to the TMC leader, has revealed lapses in the Bharatmala project. He added that the major infrastructure project was cleared without securing requisite environmental clearances, thus, calling its sustainability into question.
“The cost approved by the (Union) cabinet in 2017 under Phase 1 of the project was is Rs 15.4 crore per kilometre for infrastructure projects over 34,800 kilometres. But the cost sanctioned by the Central government till 2023 is Rs 32 crore per km for construction of road projects over 26,316 km,” Bora said.
On the construction of the Dwarka expressway, which is also part of the Bharatmala Project, Bora alleged that the construction costs rose from Rs 18 crore per kilometre to Rs 250 crore, resulting in a loss of Rs 6,728 crore to the public exchequer. He claimed that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) looted Rs 132 crore through toll plazas, adding that these toll plazas are an undue burden on commuters.
Speaking on the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, the TMC leader said that payments were made in the name of 88,000 deceased patients and the audit report revealed that there were several beneficiaries registered against the same or invalid mobile numbers.
Also taking a dig at the Centre over the Ayodhya development project, Ripun Bora said that land was acquired at a low price and sold at higher rates to the Ram Temple Trust.
Bora further said that the CAG allegedly criticised Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) over design flaws and material substitutions in aircraft engines leading to production delays and a loss of Rs 159.23 crore till March 2022.
Further hitting out at the Centre over Ajit Pawar’s entry to the NDA government in Maharashtra, Bora said that after the BJP came to power in 2014, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) had filed corruption cases totalling Rs 70,000 crore against the NCP leader.
He also alleged that the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, was involved in Saradha and Narada cases.
Also taking aim at Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bora alleged that a booklet published by the BJP’s Parliamentary Board had branded him as the “most corrupt minister” of the country while he was with the Congress, adding that the saffron party made him the CM after he switched sides.
Bora questioned PM Modi on how diamond trader Nirav Modi, allegedly involved in a scam worth several thousand crores, Vijay Mallya, wanted in connection with an alleged scam of Rs 9,000 crore, Lalit Modi allegedly involved in multi crore Indian Premier League scam and Mehul Choksi allegedly involved in a multi-crore bank scam, could flee the country and why his government failed to bring them back during last nine years in power.