Before I take up other issues, I would like to supplement to what Shri Arun Jaitley has said on the FDI in retail.
The Congress President said that BJP is playing negative role as an opposition party. The Congress party does not know the art of coalition. They adopt double standards and they do not take their own allies into confidence. They would give a word in Parliament and then betray the nation.
They have opposed reforms, particularly the FDI in retail. We all know that Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi called it “anti-national”. The present Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, when he was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, opposed FDI in retail. We have evidence to that effect. What was said by him is “India does not require this kind of reforms which would, rather than creating employment, destroy employment”. This was in response to a representation from the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra. He also informed the Federation, through a letter dated 21st December 2002, that the matter regarding FDI in retail trade was raised in Rajya Sabha and that the Finance Minister gave an assurance that government had no proposal to invite FDI in retail trade. Who is adopting double standards? The Congress or the BJP?
The Prime Minister has confessed that a “1991 like” situation is emerging in the country. We would like to ask who is responsible for that. You and your party were in power for the last 8 years. When we handed over power to you in 2004, you inherited a robust economy from us according to your own Economic Survey presented to Parliament in 2004. In its very opening sentence it said “the Economy appears to be in a resilient mode in terms of growth, inflation and balance of payments, a combination that offers large scope for consolidation of the growth momentum with continued macro economic stability”. Your Finance Minister, while presenting the budget on July 8, 2004, admitted the achievements of the NDA government said. “The economic fundamentals appear strong and the balance of payments is robust.” You have successfully ruled and ruined the economy in the last 8 years because of wrong priorities, policy paralysis and economic mismanagement.
The biggest failure of this government is on the price rise front. Prices of every article – peas, dal, coal, tel, sugar, rice, wheat – everything has gone up beyond the reach of common man. You have increased fuel prices 24 times. You have increased the fertilizer prices 12 times in 24 months. Farmers are not getting remunerative prices. Input costs have gone up. The prices of fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, tractor hiring charges have all gone up and then farmers are committing suicides. Farmers are weeping and your government is sleeping. In fertilizers, the DAP prices have gone up by 111% to 170% i.e., from Rs.517.40 to Rs.1315. Complex fertilizers have gone up by 176% to 205% - from Rs. 472 to 1298. MOP prices have risen by 156% to 282%. Tractor hiring charges in 2010 was Rs.800/- per acre and now it is Rs.2500/-.
You have increased diesel prices by Rs.5 per litre. This is something which has never happened after independence. You said diesel is used only by rich people. Do you mean to say farmers are all rich? The passenger carrying vehicles use diesel. Tractors run on diesel! The pump sets used by poor farmers need diesel! It will affect agriculture very badly. Farmers who are already in distress will be totally helpless. Their input costs will go up further and large scale migration will take place. The cost of transportation will go up. Tractor hiring charges will also go up further. Already every State Government is moving towards increasing the passenger fares of State Transport Corporation buses. This burden will amount to 40,000 crores of rupees. Road transport cost will also go up. All India Motor Congress has already announced an increase of 15%. What sort of a reform it is? First perform and then reform.
You have put a cap on LPG cylinders and said that more than 50% of people use only 6 cylinders a year. What a great statement? An average poor family needs 12 to 15 cylinders a year. If what you say is correct then whey the Congress President advises State Governments to give 9 cylinders per annum. You own President is contradicting you.
Compare the NDA regime with that of your UPA. During our regime prices were under control – no lines, no queues, no waitlists, no shortages, no black-marketing. Connectivity revolution took place – rail connectivity, highway connectivity, rural road connectivity, port and airport connectivity. Telecom revolution and IT evolution took place. Kisan Credit cards, rural godowns and cold storages happened. Earlier, during the 50 years of Congress regime, one highway and sometimes no way. During our time four-lane highway. Rupee was strong and foreign exchange was robust. 23 parties were led by an able leader and gave a stable government by following coalition dharma. Your government did not follow that dharma. That is why in your governments left hand proposes, right hand opposes and finally mind disposes. Your government is like one step forward and three steps backward and then the situation becomes akward.
That is why people are angry with you. Election after election, State after State, City after City – your party is loosing. Scam after scam. Your government is trying its best to protect the guilty. The people of the country are waiting for an opportunity to throw your party out. That is why you have suddenly thought of reforms. If reforms are so important for your party, why now and no initiative for the last 8 years? What were you doing?
While concluding his speech, Shri Naidu called up the party workers to corner the Congress party, expose UPA’s scams, price rise, agricultural distress and highlight the NDA’s achievements.
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