M A I N   N E W S

Demolition a blunder: Shanta
Wants temple after dialogue
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Jan 14 — Expressing concern over the demolition of Babri Masjid, Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, said any attempt to construct Ram Temple on the disputed land would be yet another “historic blunder”.

Addressing a press conference after a state-level meeting of officers of the FCI and Food Supplies, apart from interacting with local BJP leaders here today, Mr Shanta Kumar said the slogan of constructing Ram Temple would not prove to be a “vote-catcher” in the forthcoming elections. “People will vote on the basis of our performance only. Such slogans will not yield any result any more”, he said.

He, however, said the temple should be constructed but it could be possible through a dialogue.

“Nothing can be imposed on anybody in a democratic country”, he said, adding that the BJP enjoyed a popular image till December 5, 1992. “However, the next day the public opinion went against us when Babri Masjid was demolished”.

Mr Shanta Kumar said the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had already expressed his opinion on the issue in Parliament which was accepted by a majority of the people”.

He, however, parried a direct question whether the BJP would accept the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue. He said Mr Vajpayee’s assertion in Parliament was the “final word” on the subject.

Mr Shanta Kumar appealed to the leadership of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations not to carry out construction work on Ram Temple on the disputed land.

On the abolition of Article 370, he said Mr Vajpayee could not proceed further on the issue as he was heading the National Democratic Alliance government. The NDA had won the last election on a common agenda and, hence, it was the duty of the BJP to take all constituents into confidence.

He admitted that of the Rs 8,000 crore subsidy on the public distribution system (PDS), more than 30 per cent was being pilfered. He said the Centre had taken a pledge to provide food to all.

“I am feeling guilty that more than five crore people still go to bed without food”. He said on the one hand there was “surplus food and we do not have space for storage yet on the other crores of people are still hungry”. He said more than 35 crore Indians were still below the poverty line even after 54 years of Independence.

Mr Shanta Kumar admitted that the PDS was faulty. He said efforts were being made to plug the loopholes. He said more than 30 per cent of the food items were pilfered when they reached ration depots. Panchayats were being empowered to check the ration depots to check the pilferage.

He said though some states had raised objection to the streamlining process initiated by the Food Ministry yet no state would be given any subsidy on the pilfered or diverted food items.

Objecting to the age-old wheat-paddy rotation, Mr Shanta Kumar said the government had spent Rs 9,000 crore foreign exchange in importing pulses, edible oils, etc. Farmers’ could save the foreign exchange by going in for diversification, he added.

He said poor persons above 65 years of age would get 10 kg of wheat free of cost every month.

Unfolding the “pre-election bonanza”, Mr Shanta Kumar said the Union Government would purchase some selected food items in bulk so that these could be supplied to the poorest of the poor on subsidised rates. Non-governmental organisations like Orphanage and Pingalwaras would get food items at half rates. More than seven lakh tonnes of food items would be supplied free of cost to states where there was scarcity.

Mr Shanta Kumar said he would expedite the movement of the already procured foodgrains from Punjab so that storage space could be created for the coming procurement season.