Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy Accuses Congress of Oppressing Kar Sevaks

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday issued a strong rebuttal of allegations made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on the performance of India’s banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks (PSBs), stressing that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) tenure, PSBs were treated as ‘ATMs’ for their ‘cronies and shady businessmen’.

In a series of lengthy tweets, FM Sitharaman said that Rahul Gandhi’s penchant for making baseless statements is on full display, yet again.

“India’s banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks (PSBs), have seen a remarkable turnaround under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Didn’t the people who met with the LoP tell him that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had resulted in significant deterioration in the health of PSBs?” asked FM Sitharaman.

“It was actually during the UPA regime when bank employees were harassed and forced to give loans to cronies through “phone banking” by the then Congress-led UPA Govt functionaries,” the Finance Minister posted on X.

Sitharaman also detailed the financial support extended to PSBs, noting that the government had recapitalised them with Rs 3.26 lakh crore over the last decade.

She argued that this investment not only benefits the banks but also the public, as dividends from PSBs serve as a source of income for investors.

“The Public also has a shareholding in the PSBs and dividends are the source of income for such investors also. Not just for the GoI. Didn’t the people who met with the LoP tell him that during the UPA rule these PSBs paid dividends of Rs 56,534 crore?” said FM Sitharaman.

In his X post, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that PSBs were designed to give every Indian access to credit.

“The Modi government has turned these lifelines of the masses into private financiers for only the rich and powerful corporations,” he alleged, claiming that PSBs “are being forced to prioritise profit over people and are thus unable to serve the public effectively”.

FM Sitharaman countered Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, saying citizen-centric governance and inclusive development is the core principle of PM Modi government.

“Didn’t the people who met with the LoP tell him that 54 crore Jan Dhan accounts and more than 52 crore collateral-free loans under various flagship financial inclusion schemes (PM MUDRA, Stand-Up India, PM-SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma) have been sanctioned?” she asked.

FM Sitharaman also mentioned the PM MUDRA scheme where 68 per cent of beneficiaries are women and under the PM-SVANidhi scheme, 44 per cent of beneficiaries are women.

“Didn’t the people who met with the LoP tell him that loans up to Rs. 10 lakh have increased by 238 per cent in the last 10 years, and their share in total loans has also increased from 19 per cent to 23 per cent?” said the finance minister.

On the issue of recruitment drives in the banking sector, she said that since 2014, PSBs had recruited nearly 3.94 lakh employees and as of October 2024, 96.61 per cent of officers and 96.67 per cent of subordinate staff were in position.

She further said that Rahul Gandhi’s misrepresentation of facts is an insult to the hardworking PSB employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system.

“It’s high time the @INCIndia up-skills the LOP’s understanding of governance,” said FM Sitharaman.

–IANS

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Agartala/Shillong, Dec 14 (IANS) After Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata, the Northeast Trade and Investment Roadshow will be held in Mumbai on Monday to attract investment in the northeastern states, officials said here on Saturday.

Tripura Industries and Commerce Department Director Vishwasree B. said that the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) would hold the roadshow in which all the northeastern states would participate.

“We would highlight the investment opportunities in Tripura in bamboo, Agarwood, rubber, food processing, tourism and other sectors,” she told IANS.

The director said that earlier similar roadshows were held in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and various other cities in the country and all the northeastern states highlighted their available resources and investment opportunities.

Officials in Agartala and Shillong said that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma would participate in the roadshow.

Tripura Chief Minister recently said that the present state government is making all efforts to attract investors to the state, and during the past one year, 212 investors attended and MoUs were signed for investment of over Rs 5,900 crore, with 200-plus investment proposals already made and Rs 1,000 crore in the pipeline.

An official statement said that DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and senior officials of various Union ministries and all the eight northeastern states would participate in the roadshow.

The roadshow would feature Business to Government (B2G) meetings, offering a unique opportunity for potential investors to interact directly with state representatives and explore investment opportunities across multiple sectors.

This event is being organised in partnership with the state governments of the northeastern states, FICCI (Industry Partner), and Invest India (Investment Facilitation Partner).

The Mumbai Roadshow marks the sixth event in the ongoing series, showcasing presentations from the eight northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

These states would highlight a diverse range of investment opportunities in key sectors, including agri-food processing and allied sectors, IT & ITES, entertainment and sports, energy, infrastructure & logistics, tourism & hospitality, education & skill development, healthcare, all critical to driving economic growth in the region, the statement said.

It said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisioned the mission of ‘Viksit Bharat and Viksit North East.’

Over the last decade, tremendous efforts have been made to enhance infrastructure across the region through the development of roadways, highways, airways, railways, and waterways.

These initiatives have positively impacted the lives of the people in the region, leading to a surge in tourism and economic activities.

The North East Investor Summit aligns with this vision, serving as a catalyst to attract investments and unlock the untapped potential of the region, further propelling its journey towards prosperity and development, the statement added.

Previous roadshows in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, as well as the state seminar at Vibrant Gujarat, have generated significant interest from potential investors.

Building on these efforts, the DoNER Ministry also held a signing and exchange of MoUs event for the North East Investors Summit on March 6 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, facilitating discussions between senior officials and investors.

The recently held Hyderabad roadshow, attended by Minister of State for DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar, witnessed several B2G meetings fostering potential investments.

According to the statement, the Mumbai Roadshow would continue this momentum, enabling investors to directly interact with state officials.

With the success of previous editions, this roadshow is expected to draw even more attention and participation, reinforcing the city’s role as a financial hub for economic growth in the northeast.

The session will feature valuable insights from ministers and state presentations, highlighting investment opportunities and empowering investors to become part of the thriving investment landscape of northeast India.

–IANS

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Ahmedabad, Dec 13 (IANS) The ‘captain’ of the fake ED team recently arrested in Gujarat is Abdul Sattar, who is General Secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of the state party unit. Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, shared this information on his X account. He also posted on the X the pictures of Sattar with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, captioning them with, “Kejriwal ke chelon ki asal kartoot” (The real deeds of Kejriwal’s associates).

Minister Harsh Sanghavi further shared the images of Sattar with Kejriwal and other prominent AAP leaders. One photo showed Sattar shaking hands with Kejriwal, while another depicted him with Isudan Gadhvi, AAP’s face for the Gujarat Chief Minister’s post during the state elections.

This revelation is set to create another controversy with the AAP leadership being forced to clear the air. Sattar, along with several accomplices, was arrested for posing as ED officials and extorting money from a jeweller in Gandhidham, Kutch.

The fake team conducted a raid at Radhika Jewellers and its owner’s residence, stealing gold, silver, and cash worth Rs 22.25 lakh. The jeweller filed a complaint, leading to the investigation and the subsequent arrests.

The accused were found in possession of forged identification and official documents that mimicked those of the Enforcement Directorate.

Abdul Sattar’s alleged involvement in this scam has shocked many, particularly in view of his association reportedly with AAP as general secretary.

Earlier, the police had arrested 12 individuals, including a woman, for impersonating ED officials. They had targeted the jeweller’s shop and residence, posing as part of an official investigation, before making off with the stolen goods.

This scandal has come at a time when AAP is gearing up to retain power in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The revelation of this fake ED scam in Gujarat has the potential to damage the party’s image, especially as it claims to champion clean governance, say political commentators.

As the situation develops, all eyes are on Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP leadership to see how they will respond. Whether this is an isolated incident or a sign of deeper issues within the party will likely become clearer in the coming days.

–IANS

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