Sibal pulls out figures to rebut CM claims

After neglecting the tribals for five years, Sibal charged, Modi’s heart was suddenly brimming with affection for the community only because he wanted their votes. Srinand Jha reports.

With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi providing one set of figures to rebut the Congress claim that his government had neglected the state’s tribals, Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday released another set to bolster his party’s charge.

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Sibal released detailed statistics which claimed that while the NDA, during its last two years of central rule, had released Rs 22.5 crore and Rs 22.8 crore respectively for tribal welfare in Gujarat, the UPA in comparison had allocated Rs 56.61 crore and Rs 39.64 crore during its last two financial years.

Again, under the scheme of special assistance to the Tribal Sub Plan, Sibal said the NDA government had provided Rs 76.74 crore to Gujarat in the last two years of its rule, while the UPA, in its last two years had released Rs 88.46 crore. He referred to another scheme, the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for tribal students, in which the NDA regime had provided Rs 185.27 lakh between 2002 and 2004, while the UPA, from 2005 to 2007, had doled out Rs 267 lakh.