India is about to spend a ridiculous $500 million on a statue in the middle of the Arabian sea
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JOEY TRIBIANI
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indian version of we will mean 30 to 35 years ..
Free speech is not governed by morality.
Rather than making a useless land mark in Mumbai, the effort should have been to turn Mumbai into a landmark.
I am sorry to say, but this statue represents everything that is wrong with the governance of Mumbai.
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INDIAPOSITIVE
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Minister believes Shivaji statue will cut down on crime in Mumbai!
With the BJP-led government in the state gearing up to present its first budget towards the end of this month, all eyes are on Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar
The minister has been busy holding talks with various interest groups, and just before mid-day met him on Friday evening, he was meeting members from the bakery lobby and Sales Tax Commissioner Rajeev Jalota.
The adjacent cabin was filled with MLAs and MPs, who all wanted their constituencies to get a slice of the state budget pie. In a freewheeling chat with Varun Singh, Mungantiwar spoke of the government’s priorities and indicated that the budget was going to be a populist one.
He spoke of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue being important to the government and went to the extent of saying that the state’s fund allocation for the police department could be brought down by Rs 3,000 crore if every citizen followed the Maratha king’s ideology.
And, in a statement that will have the opposition worried, Mungantiwar also spoke of coming out with a white paper on the budgets presented in the last 10 years. Excerpts:
Q. This is the first budget of the BJP, what’s going to be special about it?
A. The budget will deal with important issues. The people have voted for us not because they like our faces, but to see us work and fulfil their dreams. There are many policies, which require more money, but the satisfaction level among the general populace is less, and there are many projects, which have less budgetary provision, but the satisfaction level is high. We will focus on the latter. I have written to the various state heads, chief ministers and others asking them to give their suggestions on what they think will help us take this state forward, so that their ideas can also be incorporated in the budget.
Q. So, have you also written to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray?
A. (Turns around to confirm with his personal assistant, who says yes). We are sending out letters in blocks, so the letters are going to all party heads, to top industrialists and everyone.
Q. What are the main things that the budget will focus on?
A. There are three important things that we will be focusing on. The first is the primary services, which include irrigation and good roads, which we want to provide to the people. The second thing is employment, which will need special attention, and then comes social security. There shouldn’t be any community that does not benefit from development and, hence, social security is of utmost importance for us. There will be policies which will focus on development.
Q. Agriculture is always an important factor in the budget. Anything specific you have in mind for the sector?
A. I am visiting Madhya Pradesh, because their agricultural growth is 24 per cent, which is the highest in Asia. The trip should give me additional insights into what should be incorporated in the budget for agricultural growth. I agree that the contribution of agriculture to the GDP isn’t that much, but it contributes a lot to employment. The total number of people employed in the state is 4.83 crore and, of this, 2.63 crore jobs are generated through agriculture. Agriculture is important because it has the ability to satisfy everyone’s hunger.
Q. But the farmer is dying, he isn’t getting much from the state.
A. We are coming up with policies that are farmer-friendly. We suffered a loss of nearly R791 crore when we did away with purchase tax on sugar cane, but then we realised that if the crop stays on the field and is not sold or purchased, we will suffer a loss of R10,000 crore and sugar production will also be affected. Similarly, for elderly farmers, we have a pension scheme.
Q. The BJP had proposed pension for single women in its vision document. What’s going to happen to that?
A. The vision document is for five years and we are looking into the matter. We will include all these issues.
Q.Many policies are made, but then they never get implemented...
A. That is the reason I have decided to come up with a white paper, which will give us a clear indication of the path we are on and where wrong.
Q. White paper on what, and if it’s on budgets, then for how many years? Will you consider the budgets of the past 15 years?
A. The white paper will be related to the finance department and it’s not necessary to go through the budgets presented in the past 15 years. Even the budgets presented in the last 10 years should be sufficient to give me an idea of where we went wrong.
Q.What will the white paper focus on?
A. The white paper will focus on the money spent. Our planning is based on expenditure and we want it to be output-based. Money has been spent, but what has it generated, what has the state got? Has any employment been generated, or has only a ‘group’ benefited from it? Because, we have been spending money, but there has been no benefit. There are many projects in which more money has been spent than was expected. The expense is not legitimate, and there was no planning. After the white paper is presented, we will come to know where we went wrong and how it can be corrected. Through the white paper, we will come to know whether the previous budgets have helped the state’s development or not.
Q.Many schemes were launched by the previous government. Will all of them continue?
A. We have decided that we will revisit the 1,256 schemes, like those for diesel pumps or blanket distribution. In places where the schemes aren’t that beneficial, we will take a re-look at them and increase the funds for schemes that are important.
Q. Have you asked for financial assistance from the central government on the proposed Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea and the B R Ambedkar memorial in Indu Mill?
A. This is not just an issue of faith. I think the inspiration derived from these memorials cannot be calculated in terms of money. Our desire is that both of them should be finished in our tenure and, for this, we have asked for certain assistance from the central government.
Q. Will there be provisions for the Shivaji statue in the state budget?
A. Funds can be allocated for the statue within a minute. This is Shivaji Maharaj’s state and it runs on his blessings, so allocation of budget for the statue is not a big issue. But, what good will allocation do if the funds are not used? We want all the permissions to be in place and then we can give the funds. I will read it in the budget, but let me tell you, when the work is for Shivaji Maharaj, the funds can be allocated within a day from the contingency fund.
Q. So, the Shivaji statue is a priority for the government?
A. The issue is not of money, but about society getting inspired by Shivaji’s ideology. When even one person implements his ideology, for me the value of that is more than R1,000 crore. Today, we have to spend Rs 15,000 crore on the police department, but if everyone starts following the ideology of Shivaji Maharaj and becomes an ideal citizen, my allocation in the budget can come down by R3,000 crore.
Q. Isn’t that too idealistic?
A. It’s not idealistic, this is the reality. Suppose some goons are following a woman and someone shouts out the slogan ‘Jai Chhatrapati’ and comes to her rescue. Isn’t he doing the work of the police? This happens. People have given up their life to do what’s right, there is a long list, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done it. Even he is made of the ideology of Chhatrapati.
Q. You had said that SGNP could be a major tourist attraction. Are you doing something for this in the budget?
A. We are appointing consultants for all the four sanctuaries in the state and all this work will be done within my tenure. When families return happy from these places, our growth also increases.
Q. Is everything well between you and CM Devendra Fadanvis? Many top leaders have complained about him.
A. I have faced no issues with the CM. We are not working as individuals, but as Team Maharashtra. The trust that the public has reposed is not in us, but in the BJP. Our aim is to fulfil the wishes of our prime minister, who follows Deendayal Upadhyayji. We are all working together, no one comes in anyone’s way and the party and the CM have given everyone full freedom to run their departments the way they see fit.
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/min...tue-will-cut-down-on-crime-in-mumbai/15974150
With the BJP-led government in the state gearing up to present its first budget towards the end of this month, all eyes are on Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar
The minister has been busy holding talks with various interest groups, and just before mid-day met him on Friday evening, he was meeting members from the bakery lobby and Sales Tax Commissioner Rajeev Jalota.
The adjacent cabin was filled with MLAs and MPs, who all wanted their constituencies to get a slice of the state budget pie. In a freewheeling chat with Varun Singh, Mungantiwar spoke of the government’s priorities and indicated that the budget was going to be a populist one.
He spoke of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue being important to the government and went to the extent of saying that the state’s fund allocation for the police department could be brought down by Rs 3,000 crore if every citizen followed the Maratha king’s ideology.
And, in a statement that will have the opposition worried, Mungantiwar also spoke of coming out with a white paper on the budgets presented in the last 10 years. Excerpts:
Q. This is the first budget of the BJP, what’s going to be special about it?
A. The budget will deal with important issues. The people have voted for us not because they like our faces, but to see us work and fulfil their dreams. There are many policies, which require more money, but the satisfaction level among the general populace is less, and there are many projects, which have less budgetary provision, but the satisfaction level is high. We will focus on the latter. I have written to the various state heads, chief ministers and others asking them to give their suggestions on what they think will help us take this state forward, so that their ideas can also be incorporated in the budget.
Q. So, have you also written to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray?
A. (Turns around to confirm with his personal assistant, who says yes). We are sending out letters in blocks, so the letters are going to all party heads, to top industrialists and everyone.
Q. What are the main things that the budget will focus on?
A. There are three important things that we will be focusing on. The first is the primary services, which include irrigation and good roads, which we want to provide to the people. The second thing is employment, which will need special attention, and then comes social security. There shouldn’t be any community that does not benefit from development and, hence, social security is of utmost importance for us. There will be policies which will focus on development.
Q. Agriculture is always an important factor in the budget. Anything specific you have in mind for the sector?
A. I am visiting Madhya Pradesh, because their agricultural growth is 24 per cent, which is the highest in Asia. The trip should give me additional insights into what should be incorporated in the budget for agricultural growth. I agree that the contribution of agriculture to the GDP isn’t that much, but it contributes a lot to employment. The total number of people employed in the state is 4.83 crore and, of this, 2.63 crore jobs are generated through agriculture. Agriculture is important because it has the ability to satisfy everyone’s hunger.
Q. But the farmer is dying, he isn’t getting much from the state.
A. We are coming up with policies that are farmer-friendly. We suffered a loss of nearly R791 crore when we did away with purchase tax on sugar cane, but then we realised that if the crop stays on the field and is not sold or purchased, we will suffer a loss of R10,000 crore and sugar production will also be affected. Similarly, for elderly farmers, we have a pension scheme.
Q. The BJP had proposed pension for single women in its vision document. What’s going to happen to that?
A. The vision document is for five years and we are looking into the matter. We will include all these issues.
Q.Many policies are made, but then they never get implemented...
A. That is the reason I have decided to come up with a white paper, which will give us a clear indication of the path we are on and where wrong.
Q. White paper on what, and if it’s on budgets, then for how many years? Will you consider the budgets of the past 15 years?
A. The white paper will be related to the finance department and it’s not necessary to go through the budgets presented in the past 15 years. Even the budgets presented in the last 10 years should be sufficient to give me an idea of where we went wrong.
Q.What will the white paper focus on?
A. The white paper will focus on the money spent. Our planning is based on expenditure and we want it to be output-based. Money has been spent, but what has it generated, what has the state got? Has any employment been generated, or has only a ‘group’ benefited from it? Because, we have been spending money, but there has been no benefit. There are many projects in which more money has been spent than was expected. The expense is not legitimate, and there was no planning. After the white paper is presented, we will come to know where we went wrong and how it can be corrected. Through the white paper, we will come to know whether the previous budgets have helped the state’s development or not.
Q.Many schemes were launched by the previous government. Will all of them continue?
A. We have decided that we will revisit the 1,256 schemes, like those for diesel pumps or blanket distribution. In places where the schemes aren’t that beneficial, we will take a re-look at them and increase the funds for schemes that are important.
Q. Have you asked for financial assistance from the central government on the proposed Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea and the B R Ambedkar memorial in Indu Mill?
A. This is not just an issue of faith. I think the inspiration derived from these memorials cannot be calculated in terms of money. Our desire is that both of them should be finished in our tenure and, for this, we have asked for certain assistance from the central government.
Q. Will there be provisions for the Shivaji statue in the state budget?
A. Funds can be allocated for the statue within a minute. This is Shivaji Maharaj’s state and it runs on his blessings, so allocation of budget for the statue is not a big issue. But, what good will allocation do if the funds are not used? We want all the permissions to be in place and then we can give the funds. I will read it in the budget, but let me tell you, when the work is for Shivaji Maharaj, the funds can be allocated within a day from the contingency fund.
Q. So, the Shivaji statue is a priority for the government?
A. The issue is not of money, but about society getting inspired by Shivaji’s ideology. When even one person implements his ideology, for me the value of that is more than R1,000 crore. Today, we have to spend Rs 15,000 crore on the police department, but if everyone starts following the ideology of Shivaji Maharaj and becomes an ideal citizen, my allocation in the budget can come down by R3,000 crore.
Q. Isn’t that too idealistic?
A. It’s not idealistic, this is the reality. Suppose some goons are following a woman and someone shouts out the slogan ‘Jai Chhatrapati’ and comes to her rescue. Isn’t he doing the work of the police? This happens. People have given up their life to do what’s right, there is a long list, and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done it. Even he is made of the ideology of Chhatrapati.
Q. You had said that SGNP could be a major tourist attraction. Are you doing something for this in the budget?
A. We are appointing consultants for all the four sanctuaries in the state and all this work will be done within my tenure. When families return happy from these places, our growth also increases.
Q. Is everything well between you and CM Devendra Fadanvis? Many top leaders have complained about him.
A. I have faced no issues with the CM. We are not working as individuals, but as Team Maharashtra. The trust that the public has reposed is not in us, but in the BJP. Our aim is to fulfil the wishes of our prime minister, who follows Deendayal Upadhyayji. We are all working together, no one comes in anyone’s way and the party and the CM have given everyone full freedom to run their departments the way they see fit.
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/min...tue-will-cut-down-on-crime-in-mumbai/15974150
No, its not. But morality does define what you should or should not do regardless of laws of free speech.
Under free speech I have the right to say some choice words to a few people. My morality stops me from doing that. Similar is the case here.
You under value the power of symbols and iconography. I don't. That is your call to make.
I think the project will break even and make money in the long run for the State of Maharashtra.
If speech is subject to restrictions by morality, then its not "Free" speech anymore is it ?
Anyway, to the point, There is great power in Symbols and iconography. But nothing beats the real thing.
I can give you a fantastic icon and symbol of a 10 course meal or I can give you a free meal, what would your prefer ?
What would the citizens of mumbai prefer ? what would be more inspiring ? Huge clean roads and world class public transport system or a huge statue ?
Focusing on symbols and iconography is to miss the forest for the trees.
What Mumbai desperately needs is uninterrupted water supply to house holds and basic sewage and drainage lines to each homes.
It needs world class public transport system.
It needs enough world class schools and Play grounds for kids to play and develop.
It needs a green cover and pot hole free roads.
It needs FOOTPATHS and enough parking space.
To replace all of this needs with a statue is a joke.
faithfulguy
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3/4 of the money are the kick back money. Indians don't just skim off the top. It drain most of public money.
Dragon Ball
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No one is replacing one with the other. This is not an either/or situation. Infrastructure is being worked up even as we speak. This statue is being built out in the sea and requires less logistic challenges as compared to building all your dream projects in space constrained insanely populated Mumbai. Your line of questioning is similar to the ones who object to India having a space program or temples built. Every damn time it is their concern for the mouths to feed and free meal at that.
Space programs have a positive contribution to Indian economy. They also pave way for scientific advancement in our R&D.
A statue does nothing except act like a Red Herring to distract people from the reality.
It is very much an either or situation. I have seen Mumbai infrastructure for providing drinking water dwindle to nothing. Mumbai still uses the sewage lines that the British built. 90% of the city does not even have basic storm water drainage.
The local trains are a nightmare to travel and the roads are just as bad.
The projects I have mentioned are not "dreamy" but basic necessities of life which somehow in Mumbai come across as a luxury.
Even New York, Hong Kong, Singapore are insanely populated. But they get their fundamentals right before building statues
Sadly using hard earned Tax money for a statute is exactly that, replacing one with the other.
Modi is building the Sardar statue (statue of unity) using a Public Private partnership model. Only Rs. 200 crores of that 2,500 crores came from taxes.
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In that case it should be easy to find public funding, right ? Like the project for Bullet train.
Why waste taxes on this ?
Dragon Ball
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No, it is not nothing. Respecting and revering our heritage is not a red herring or a distraction.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...bution-system-likely/articleshow/51796720.cms
The govt is spending massive amount of money in updating Mumbai's infrastructure, building metros, monos, etc etc. You cannot claim that the govt is doing nothing about improving the infrastructure. All other aspects of life should come to a standstill until and unless all of Mumbai's infrastructure is built is also a very unreasonable demand.
You cannot compare New York, Hong Kong, or Singapore to Mumbai, those cities were built with a plan and in systematic manner unlike much of Mumbai before their populations exploded.
Building statues is not a waste. It also contributes to the beautification of the city. How the govt is going to fund the statue has not yet been clarified. All the minister did was emphasise that funds will not be an issue.
I am all for respect, I am against spending good money on bad ideas. We already have the railway station and airport named after shivaji.
We have a university named after him, A political party named after him.
Its nowhere close to what is really required. And that is because of paucity of funds.
I never claimed the govt. is doing nothing. Its just to good enough. The gap is a gaping black hole.
No need for life to come to a halt. Let the govt. plan fund raisers and organize events and charities to ask people to contribute to the cause. That is the most reasonable thing to do.
I can, and one SHOULD.
You are wrong when you say that NY, HK was built to a plan. It was not. The plan came much later. Same is true for Mumbai. They are comparable cities, but no body in their right minds will compare them because even though they have similar past, their current status is worlds apart.
Anyway let us see how this pans out.
Dean Winchester
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Whereas in the Pakistani version of we will, it never happens.
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