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PM says probe if Opposition gave proof

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said the BJP-led coalition government believed in transparency and was ready for an inquiry into certain issues raised by the opposition parties if there was prima facie evidence.

In an apparent reference to the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry into allegations levelled by Mohan Guruswamy, sacked advisor to the finance minister, and the dismissal of naval chief admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, Vajpayee said, ''We are ready for debate and discussions, but for an inquiry there has to be prima facie evidence.''

He charged the opposition parties with playing politics for its 'vote bank' and creating ''needless'' hurdles in the functioning of both houses of Parliament.

Addressing a rally after launching the 'Annapurna scheme' and laying the foundation for development of houses besides giving keys and possession letters for more than 1000 houses for various income groups to mark the completion of one year in office, the prime minister said successive governments had not paid enough attention to the basic needs like food and shelter in the last fifty years since independence.

He said the government was committed to meet the shortage of housing which is estimated to be 35 million, by building two million dwelling units every year, 1.3 million of them in the rural areas.

Union Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh were among those present on the occasion.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP-led coalition government, Vajpayee said it had inherited the economy in a bad state in which even the payments of interests was difficult. ''Now the rupee is strong and the country is fully secure,'' he said referring to the Pokhran nuclear tests of last year.

He also pointed out the lack of cold storage facilities which led to waste of agricultural produce. ''Last year, we lost the elections due to onion shortage and this year we have to think of exporting the produce,'' he said, adding, ''We will not let the farmers suffer''.

Despite surplus agricultural produce, some people went hungry as they had no economic access to food and the 'Annapurna scheme' was aimed at alleviating this situation to some extent. Under the scheme, 10 kg of foodgrains will be given free to old people every month from lower socio-economic strata.

Vajpayee also laid the foundation of the Adarsh Gram Scheme under which the Housing and Urban Development Corporation adopted the village for its integrated development. Hudco will adopt two villages and two urban slum areas in each state as part of the scheme.

Kalyan Singh announced the grant of Rs 2 million for the establishment of a government women's inter college in the village. He said such colleges would be opened in all the 904 blocks in the state. The chief minister said his government had decided to spend 70 per cent of the planned budget for the development of the agricultural sector and rural areas.

UNI

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