Journalism of Courage
Union Transport and Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari Tuesday announced that if voted to power, the BJP would “try its level best to stop demolition of the unauthorised constructions in Pimpri-Chinchwad”. Gadkari was speaking at a public meeting organised by the BJP in Chinchwad for its candidate Laxman Jagtap.
Analysing the issue of unauthorised constructions, Gadkari blamed the Congress-NCP government for the rise of the problem.
“We will try our best not the demolish the unauthorised constructions but that should not mean that more such constructions should come up. Henceforth, all construction should be done with required permission and plan,” he said.
Gadkari added that the Congress-NCP government had festered the problem of illegal construction by promoting “case to case” sanction of projects. He also said that if elected to power, the BJP government would make special case to provide housing to the workers at affordable rates.
In his speech, Gadkari targeted Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for what he said was his “policy paralysis”. “The chief minister refuses to take decision and that is the reason the state has suffered,” he said. He went on to add that the state government has not taken any decision to help the farmers or help boost the agri-economics. The policy paralysis and lack of vision, he said, had led to unauthorised constructions mushrooming in the city.
“While the chief minister had refused to take decision, in the last 15 days, he was exceptionally active clearing files before the promulgation of the model code of conduct. I ask NCP leader Sharad Pawar to constitute an enquiry about the sudden spurt of productivity in the chief minister,” he said.
Gadkari, also tried to downplay the allegations of religious intolerance levelled by Congress-NCP against the BJP and pointed out how the Centre was quick to respond to the floods in Jammu and Kashmir. “If any one is communal, its the Congress-NCP government,” he said.
