Speaking at Democracy Wall, the PWD minister admits there are ‘leakages’ in the construction sector that need to be fixed.
New Delhi: Punjab’s PWD and information technlogy minister Vijay Inder Singla insists his party leader, Rahul Gandhi, has “no lust for power”; instead, he wants the youth to get more involved with politics.
Singla was in conversation with Chitleen K. Sethi, associate editor at ThePrint, at the ninth edition of Democracy Wall.
Democracy Wall is a monthly free speech campus initiative organised by ThePrint in collaboration with Facebook. The event was held at Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar. Actor-singer Ayushmann Khurana, politician Bhagwant Mann, rapper Feyago, comedian Abijit Ganguly, and online security expert Arnika Singh were the other speakers at the event.
Singla, now 46, started his political career as part of the Youth Congress and later spearheaded the first Youth Congress elections in Punjab (which were replicated across the country). He recalled the time he contested his first election — for the 2009 Lok Sabha — and paid tribute to Gandhi’s contribution to the cause of the youth at the time.
“In 2009, 70 youngsters were given the opportunity to fight the elections. It is also when I became an MP. Prior to that, I had neither contested a legislative assembly election, nor a corporate body election. The main fulcrum of the Youth Congress elections — which started in Punjab and went to other states from there — was to encourage youth and enable them to participate in the future,” Singla said.
“Rahul Gandhi could’ve pushed for himself to be the PM candidate in the 2009 elections, but he didn’t. He has no lust for power,” he said.
Also read: We need more youth in politics, but there should be no age cap on politicians: Owaisi
Construction and corruption
Singla was asked about the enormous amounts of money spent on construction, with little to show for. He replied: “There is definitely an impression that a lot of money that needs to be spent on good roads and good buildings isn’t being utilised to the fullest.”
He also admitted: “There definitely are leakages within the system that need to be checked. But, ever since I joined the PWD, I’ve ensured that there is emphasis on quality of construction and limiting the leakages prevalent.”
He also said there is a greater need for public participation in ensuring good quality roads. “People who are living in that area need to start raising questions. They can email and SMS me any time. Good quality roads in Punjab are a must,” Singla said.
Also read: The youth needs to see politics as a way of life, not just as a career
IT parks needed
The minister also spoke extensively about the need for IT parks in Punjab.
“Earlier, IT parks were created in states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. But now these places have become almost like overgrown villages. So, now people want to move out to places like Mohali, which has an airport, has the prerequisite space and infrastructure,” he said.
“Young people of Punjab deserve jobs in these IT parks. And we must ensure there are enough opportunities for them across the state.”
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist,Barnala(Punjab)
Mr. Vijay Inder Singla Punjab PWD and Information Technology Minister one of the trusted and tried lieutenants of Rahul Gandhi
Brigade has known and seen the family from very close quarters ! That is why he has very aptly said that Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi
has no lust for power !
Mr. Singla’s assertion is quite up to the mark bearing testimony to this fact that there was no problem for Rahul at any time to be at the steering . But he did not at all hanker after it. His mother Mrs.Sonia Gandhi too set an exemplary precedent of self -sacrifice not only once but twice before the nation !
Just see on the contrary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoying PMship for more than four years is feeling just like fish out of water for a second term in the hot seat even after dashing electorate and masses’ hopes to ground by tempting and trapping them in his utopian,fallacious and fictitious promises.
PM Modi has infact insatiable greed and lust for power !
After more than four years of malgovernance ,wrong and anti-public policies NaMo very badly stands exposed and masses will not fall
in his trap of ploys and rhetorics again not repeating the blunder of 2014 Lok Sabha Polls !
But there is a note of caution for the Congress and opposition that these must have smart, new and innovative tricks up their sleeves to
tame Modi bandwagon because task is really Herculean in the run upto the Marathon-Lok Sabha Polls due in 2019 !
It is a foegone conclusion that only Anti-Modi and Anti-BJP campaign is not going to work wonders! Congress without losing s single second must jump into the fray projecting its programmes and policies before the public ! It should make its intentions clear, how it intends and plans to solve burning and sensitive problems staring the nation to attract people?
The important issues which need immediate care and concern of the polity are shattered economy, poverty, ever mounting unemployment, insurgency and trans border terrorism in Jammu Kashmir, imparting affordable quality education,offering
affordable health care system, atrocities on minorities and dalits, hollow foreign policy, deteriorating law and order and strained relations with neighbouring nations !
The Congress Party and Opposition parties have to ensure at all to avert split of opposition votes ! The BJP duo of NaMo- Amit Shah are and will be in search of an opportunity to engineer mischief to split the oppsition vote to be on the safer wicket in the battle of ballot box !
This magical formula of Congress and Opposition solid unity will certainly puncture the Modi- Shah balloon !
The Congress’s smart and well- anticipated move worked wonders following Karnataka Assembly Post Poll Developments Saga which proved how there was a slip between the cup and lip for Modi when “cup of power” slipped evenafter coming too closer to him ? Then UP(Gorakhpur, Phoolpur,Kairana ),Rajasthan Lok Sabha by-polls and Assembly by-polls results in the nation this year are best examples of Modi graph falling considerably down offering much desired impetus and optimism to the Opposition !
These developments will further go a long way in boosting up the morale of Congress and Opposition in ensuing 2019 Lok Sabhs Polls !
The tug of war is likely to be full of pleasant surprises, interesting and mind boggling political developments too !
Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)