Not Just Oppn, Statistics Too Show Modi’s Futile Project for Ganga

A reply to an RTI showed large amount of alloted fund for ‘Nanamami Gange’ project remained unspent from 2014-2016.

The polluted banks and waters of the river Ganga at Varanasi. (Photo: Reuters)

Statistical data revealed that Modi’s much-hyped ‘Namami Gange’ programme has been largely on paper, The Economic Times reported.

An RTI filed by Aishwarya Sharma — a tenth standard student from Lucknow — sought answers on the number of meetings Modi chaired on the issue of improving the condition of the river that is deemed holy by the Hindus.

The RTI also sought details on the budgetary provisions and the total expenditure on the river.

Also Read: Sonia to Use ‘Pathetic’ State of Ganga as a Weapon Against Modi

Despite an expenditure of Rs 2,958 crores of the Rs 3,703 crore allotted fund in 2014-15, to clean the Ganga, data in response to an RTI showed that only Rs 326 crores was spent on the programme.

In 2015-16the union government cut the budgetary allocation from the proposed Rs 2,750 crore to Rs 1,650 crore. Of the amended budget, Rs 18 crore remained unspent.

This is completely baffling, keeping in mind the high-decibel campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on cleaning the Ganga. I can just hope that Modi uncle delivers on this front as we all have high expectations from him. 

Aishwarya Sharma told <i>The Economic Times</i>

Ironically, Modi’s ‘Ganga ma ne bulaya hai’ credo had won him mass support in his constituency in Varanasi. However the river still remains in a deplorable condition.

(Source: The Economic Times)