Citing pending funds, Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon on Tuesday mentioned the Center has saved Jharkhand “poor”.
Oraon informed reporters that Jharkhand owes Rs 65,000 crore to Coal India and different PSUs, together with land acquisition and water prices, amongst others.
“I should not say this, but let me tell you that the Center has kept Jharkhand poor. For the 53,000 acres taken by the Centre, Coal India owes the state Rs 65,000 crore. Apart from this, Jharkhand also owes about Rs 10,000 crore to PSUs including Damodar Valley Corporation and Heavy Engineering Corporation,” he mentioned.
The Congress chief mentioned that the Center has paid Rs 300 crore to the state only some months again.
Asked that the Center had additionally sought fee for the safety, Oraon mentioned: “The central authorities ought to defend its borders from exterior threats and be chargeable for its inner safety as properly. Why ought to the state pay?” They mentioned.
Oraon additionally mentioned that for the primary time the state has put aside Rs 500 crore as sinking fund. “The benefit of getting a financial savings account is that RBI provides short-term loans in the event that they see cash parked. Also we are able to get it in instances of want.”
Oraon, who can be dealing with the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, had just lately courted controversy over Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav’s query on the EPOS machines used for distribution of meals grains. The Jharkhand authorities had paid Rs 250 crore as lease for e-POS machines from 2015-16 to 2020-21, which they might purchase for Rs 78 crore.
When requested in regards to the subject, Oraon declined to remark. However, the minister mentioned: “I want to go ahead and I am not a full-fledged politician … and like a bureaucrat I do not want to speak on the decision of the previous government.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
