Centre’s economic policies are anti-people: Dr Singh
Bengaluru, May 7: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh alleged that the economic policies being introduced by Narendra Modi-led central government have been causing inconvenience to the people and thus become anti-people.
Addressing a press conference at the KPCC office here on Monday, Dr Singh said that the country is in a critical condition and farmers were facing severe problem. The youth were not getting suitable job opportunities and the economy has been recording less development compared to its capacity. Instead of facing these challenges efficiently, it has been trying to oppress the voices which disclose such lapses. Economic policies would have greater impact on the life of people and those who are at the helm of affairs should not take decisions without thinking about the pros and cons, he said.
Since India is a complex and diversified country, no person could become the treasure of all knowledge. Whenever the BJP government’s destructive decisions are questioned, they say such decisions have good intensions. But such intensions were incurring heavy loss to the country, he said.
Amidst all global turmoil and recession, the UPA government had registered 7.8 per cent growth. But now, there is a conducive atmosphere and crude oil prices were also come down. In spite of it, the growth rate in the NDA government is limping. Demonitisation and GST introduction were the two big mistakes that could have been avoided by Modi government. As a result, micro, small and medium scale industries were suffering and lakhs of youth lost their jobs, he said.
In the GDP, the share of export has come down to the lowest level in the last 14 years. Though the prices of crude oil have come down in the international market, prices of petrol and diesel are sky rocketing. After BJP came to power, the crude oil price in the international market has come down to over 67per cent. But the prices of petrol and diesel were increased by 110 per cent. As the tax is increased continuously without thinking about the common people, the government could pool in more than Rs 10 lakh crore, he said.
Though the centre has been waiving off the loan balance of corporate companies, it has not shown the same interest in waiving off the farmers loans. In the last three years, the public sector banks have written off Rs 2.41 lakh crore loan. The efforts of many years to create the Indian economy as the third largest economy in the world were being systematically squandered. The aim of the Modi government to double the income of farmers by 2022 is just castle in the air. The MSP growth which was on an average of 19.3 per cent has come down to 3.6 per cent in the NDA tenure. Even the agriculture GDP was also declined considerably. The export quantity which was increased five times during UPA time, has come by 21 per cent. But the import of agriculture produces was increased by 60 per cent, he said.
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Karnataka govt hints at increasing PHH ration card income limit
Bengaluru (PTI) The Karnataka government on Thursday indicated that it may hike the family income limit to obtain a Priority Households (PHH) ration card, considering rising costs.
Karnataka Health & Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao gave this indication in the Legislative Assembly, while replying to a question on behalf of Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa. He was responding to a question by senior BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan, during question hour.
"The current family annual income limit of Rs 1.20 lakh was fixed in 2017, it should certainly be accepted that the amount is less. From 2017, we are now in 2026. There is a need to revise this. It must be re-examined," said Rao, who previously served as Food and Civil Supplies Minister.
Noting that the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by senior Congress MLA R V Deshpande, has recommended increasing the income limit to Rs 3 lakh, he said, "The department will look into this."
Raising the issue, Narayan stressed the need for higher income limits as the cost of living in Bengaluru had risen.
Replying to Narayan's statement that 50 per cent of the urban population should get PHH or Antyodaya cards, citing the Food Security Act, the minister said the act meant for the country as a whole, while it varies for states.
Karnataka has 1.24 crore households with PHH ration cards, Rao said. "The Centre has identified 1.09 crore eligible families in Karnataka. But the state has exceeded this by 15.8 lakh families. In some rural areas, 95 per cent of the population is covered."
He also highlighted cases where ineligible people have obtained the card.
"There is demand for this card as it is considered the basis for obtaining other benefits like medical and other things. They don't want it for obtaining ration, but for other benefits," he said.
