Date:17/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/17/stories/2008111759260700.htm

National

Sibal terms Raje rule as ‘five years of darkness’

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal on Sunday trashed the Rajasthan Government’s claim on good governance and progress during the past five years under the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Terming the period as “five years of darkness”, he said in most of the development parameters including in infant mortality, maternal mortality, literacy rate and per capita income, Rajasthan not only lagged behind the national average but was also behind some of the most backward States in the country.

“After five years of darkness there will be a dawn in Rajasthan,” Mr. Sibal, also the convener of the national media committee of the AICC, said predicting the outcome of the forthcoming elections here while talking to journalists. “Vasundhara Raje is not fit to be a Chief Minister in the 21st century. People complain that she is not accessible after 8 PM,” he noted. “Hers was a dictatorship which killed about 100 farmers in police firing in this State,” he charged.

“Rajasthan had an infant mortality rate of 67 in the year 2007 against the all India average of 57. The maternal mortality rate was 445 against 301 at national level and sex ratio at 921 against 933 at national level,” he pointed out. Among the three States going to polls this time—Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh)—in literacy, education development index, per capita consumption of electricity and per capita income, Rajasthan lagged behind Delhi and in some aspects (such as infant mortality and literacy) behind Madhya Pradesh as well.

The State’s indebtedness was worse than that of Bihar; Mr. Sibal said pointing out that Rajasthan stood at seventh position in the country, above the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The State’s debt liabilities stood at Rs.72, 652 crores which was 53.6 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product, he said.

Mr. Sibal trashed what he termed the “tall claims” of the Rajasthan Government on the implementation of the NREGS in the State. Comparing the average wage paid to those employed under the scheme he said the Government did not adhere to the specifications on the minimum wages and paid the least—Rs.51 per day to an unskilled worker-- among all the States. This amount was against Rs.59 paid by Madhya Pradesh and Rs.80 in Jharkhand an all India average of Rs.65, he said.