Mumbai: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday
admitted "leakage" of funds earmarked for development works,
but said it was "not as big" as was mentioned by Rajiv Gandhi.
"Leakage of funds earmarked for development does exist.
But, I do not admit that these leakages are as big as was
mentioned by Rajivji," Singh reporters here.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, during a visit to
drought-affected Kalahandi district in Orissa in 1985, had
said, "Of every rupee spent by the government, only 17 paise
reached the intended beneficiary." The remark had triggered a
controversy.
Singh said, "I think, particularly in areas such as the
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), there are
provisions which will help over a period of time to curb the
leakages."
"I sincerely hope that in years to come, the Right to
Information Act (RTI) will act as a powerful device to ensure
that the leakages are curbed," he said.
Last year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that even
five paise of a rupee spent by the Centre are not reaching the
intended beneficiaries.
"I remember my father had once said that only 17 paise
out of a rupee reach people. Now the situation is even worse,"
Gandhi had said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh.
Bureau Report
