Dubbing the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre as anti-poor and regressive, the Congress today accused it of demolishing inclusive and equitable development and slashing social sector spending by a whopping Rs 1,75,122 crore as it was keen to please capitalists in a year.
"Narendra Modi government, which is set to complete one year, is demolishing the edifice of inclusive and equitable development in its quest to appease a few crony capitalists and trading partners," senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh told reporters here.
Claiming that the Modi government has slashed social sector spending by Rs 1,75,122 crore in one year alone, Singh said while there was Rs 66,222 crore cut in grants on social sector scheme, Rs 5,900 crore was cut by closing down the Backward Regions Grant Fund.
Similarly, Rs 1,03,000 crore cut was effected by not implementing the Food Security Programme aimed at 67 per cent of the country's population, he claimed.
"Shockingly, these cuts have been unabatedly applied to areas which are an integral DNA of India's intrinsic fabric such as women and child development, agriculture, irrigation, panchayati raj, education, health, housing, welfare of SCs and STs and others," the Congress leader said.
Though Swacchh Bharat Abhiyaan was launched with great fanfare on October 2, 2014, the Modi government has reduced allocated funds for the mission (including drinking water and sanitation) by Rs 9,025 crore, he claimed, adding the Congress has called upon the people to unite and oppose a "regressive, retrograde and anti-poor Modi government.
