Montek hits back: ‘Govt can’t run by roadbuilders’
Planning Comm-ission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, responding to surface transport minister Kamal Nath’s criticism that his organisation was an “armchair adviser” oblivious to ground realities, said in a television interview on Sunday that “a government cannot be run only by those who know how to build roads”. He added: “You have to give them a set of rules.”
While agreeing that building roads is “certainly different from writing guidelines”, Mr Ahulwalia said: “We are not an implementing body. Equally, it does not mean you (ministers) don’t need advice ... Accountants are not people who build roads, but you cannot build roads without having decent accounts.”
Mr Ahluwalia rebutted Mr Nath’s charge that the Plan-ning Commission was not allowing his ministry to achieve its 20 km-a-day roadbuilding target. “I don’t think that’s correct,” Mr Ahluwalia said, adding, “you have to relate the target to the funding available”.
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UK may cut aid to India
Age Correspondent
London
Britons facing spe-nding cuts are questioning the UK government’s commitment to provide aid to countries like India and China. The popular suggestions on a website seeking ideas on how to reduce the deficit include such aid cuts. n More on Page 4
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