In a scathing attack on previous UPA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that it had allocated coal blocks like one gives away a pen or a handkerchief, resulting in loss of lakhs of crores of rupees.
"You must have heard about coal (block allocations)...204 coal blocks were given away just like that...Like someone comes to meet you and you give him your pen, or you give your handkerchief... Even if you give your pen to someone, you will think ten times whether you are giving it to the right person," he said, addressing the Indian community in Paris, during his visit to France as part of his tri-nation tour that includes Germany and Canada.
Mr Modi said soon after the NDA government came to power, the Supreme Court said no coal can be mined after March 31, 2015.
"20 coal blocks out of 204 have been auctioned so far and we got more than Rs 2 lakh crore from them," Mr Modi said, while noting that CAG had estimated the loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore on account of allocation of 204 mines.
He said that he decided that the revenue generated from the auction will not be kept in the central government's treasury but be given to states for development and healthcare.
"It is not Gujarat...Had Gujarat been one of such states, I would have been accused of doing all this only for Gujarat," he said.
He said that all the international agencies like World Bank, IMF are saying India is the fastest growing economy.
Rating agency Moody's last week raised India's credit outlook to 'positive', while Fitch projected faster growth - raising hopes for an upgrade in its sovereign rating in the next 12-18 months.
Mr Modi said the "hopes and expectations" with which BJP has been voted to power will be fulfilled.
Highlighting his 'Make in India' initiative, he said the country was aiming to reach new heights and his government was determined to ensure robust growth.
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