Conditions in Jharkhand fit for corruption, no will for development: Anurag Thakur

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], July 16 (ANI): Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that in Jharkhand, conditions are fit for corruption and there is no will in the government to bring in investments and develop the state.

“Why do investments do not come in Jharkhand? This is because there are conditions here fit to fuel corruption and there is no will for development or investment,” Thakur said while speaking to reporters in Ranchi on Tuesday.

The Hamirpur MP said that though it has been two decades since Jharkhand was formed, it has not been able to reach new heights of development as it was expected.

“I would like to offer my tributes to the land of Birsa Munda. The dream to make Jharkhand a separate state was fulfilled by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It has been more than two decades. There was an opportunity to take Jharkhand to great heights. But due to some reason, if we look at the last five years, the promises made before coming to power were not fulfilled by them. The way Jharkhand could have been developed was not done,” Thakur said.

Taking a dig at the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand, the Hamirpur MP said that people often get reports of seizures from the state which points out that corruption is rampant in Jharkhand and there is no interest in development.

“But we hear news that at times Rs 350 crores are seized, at some times Rs 25 crores are seized. If Rs 25 crores are seized from the driver of a Minister’s PA and Rs 350 crores is seized from a Congress Minister, it seems that corruption is rampant in the state and development is stalled,” Thakur said.

In another dig, Thakur said that the state government has not been able to give unemployment allowances to the youth despite promising to provide employment opportunities.

“Though they spoke of giving five lakh employment to youth they have not been able to give unemployment allowances, it seems that the government has failed and the people are determined to throw them out of power,” the former Union Minister said.

Pointing out how the double-engine government has led to the development of states like Uttar Pradesh and Assam, Thakur compared the development work carried out by the present BJP governments with that of earlier Congress governments in both states.

“In Uttar Pradesh, before 2017, even during the time of the UPA, work was stalled by Akhilesh Yadav’s government. But when Yogi and Bharatiya Janata Party’s government was formed, the double engine government improved the state’s criminal system, it created record investment and development reached new heights,” Thakur said.

“In Assam, during the time of UPA, Congress was in power and Dr Manmohan Singh was elected Prime Minister from Assam. But what was the state of Assam? Look at Assam now under the double engine government. Assam has reached new heights. Investment worth Rs 1000 crore has come in the field of semiconductors. We have also brought big investments,” the Union Minister added.