NEW DELHI, Jan 30 - Questioning Centre�s data, the Congress Party on Monday alleged that over 62 per cent of rural households in Assam are still without electricity.
Releasing a report, the Real State of the Economy 2017, a day ahead of the release of Government�s Economic Survey, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that a closer look at the electrification data from the hinterland, especially from States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha, shows that a sizeable number of the households in villages across most States are still in the dark, without access to electricity.
For instance, the 97.9 per cent, 99.5 per cent and 95.3 per cent of the villages in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam respectively, have been deemed �electrified�, according to the Central Government data. Yet, according to the data provided by the governments of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, 82.84 per cent, 72.97 per cent and 62.93 per cent respectively of their rural households are still without any access to electricity. �Why then are there such immense discrepancies in the data presented on the Central Government�s website?� The two Congress leaders asked.
Lashing out at the Modi Government, Manmohan Singh said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Indian growth will slip to less than 6.6 per cent. �Where are the jobs? Where is the new capital investment? Where is credit growth?� asked Chidambaram. �The document released candidly, truthfully assesses the state of India�s economy, supported by hard research and data,� said P Chidambaram. He said that the research document is �closer to the truth� than what the government will tell everyone during the Budget Session slated to start on February 1.
Chidambaram also accused the Modi Government of presenting a rosy picture of the Indian economy to everyone. �People of India are entitled to question that,� he said. �Every government must be optimistic, but optimism must stem from a realistic assessment of the situation,� added the former Finance Minister.
Criticising the Central Government for its financial policies, the Congress Party on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hiding behind the dazzle of GDP numbers. Two days ahead of the Union Budget 2017, the former Prime Minister and ex-Finance Minister said that the Indian economy is not in a good shape.
