Congress-led UPA government guilty of non-performance, policy paralysis and lack of direction: BJP

03 March, 2013

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded an immediate roll back of all hikes in prices of petrol, diesel and capping of gas cylinders. In the economic resolution, adopted at its national council meeting in New Delhi, the principal opposition party alleged that with its anti-people policies, Congress has inflicted heavy losses on farmers and poorer sections of the society. The hopes and aspirations of middle class stand shattered. Both urban and rural economy has equally suffered, and jobs and growth have taken a nosedive.

The BJP demanded increase in MSP based on Cost + 50% formula, restart the assured minimum income guarantee scheme for farmers, waiver of loan for drought and unseasonal rain affected farmers and to give Loan waiver benefit to those eligible farmers who have been left out in implementation of farm loan waiver scheme. It also demanded immediate steps to bring down fertilizer prices, besides job, wage and social security for all workers who do not get it.

If these demands are not met, BJP warned it would launch nationwide public agitation against these anti-people and anti-development economic policies of the UPA government. The resolution lamented that inflation and corruption have become the hallmarks of the UPA government. The country also has to suffer the ignominy of experiencing economic downslide under the leadership of an economist Prime Minister under whom every economic macro-parameter has steadily declined.

The BJP expressed its serious concern over the rapidly deteriorating state of the Indian economy where untold sufferings are inflicted on the common man. The BJP holds the Congress-led UPA government guilty of non-performance, policy paralysis and lack of direction.

Much to the dismay of all, it alleged that the Congress-led UPA government hastily embarked on the path of economic reversals. Instead of working towards a 10% percent growth rate with 5% inflation rate, BJP pointed out that in its nine-year tenure, the UPA has achieved exactly opposite – a 10% inflation rate and a 5% growth rate! Even by conservative estimates, the mess of economic mismanagement under the Congress led UPA government has taken the country many decades backward. This contrast needs to be noted that NDA started with 4% of GDP growth and took the country on the 8+% growth trajectory, while the UPA inherited 8+% GDP growth rate and brought it down to nearly 4%.

According to the BJP, the biggest failure of the UPA government is its failure to tame inflation and bring down the prices. Unfortunately, inflation is not the result of any natural disaster but is purely a gift of this government. BJP deplored that inflation is also a process that reverses socio-economic justice since it facilitates transfer of real assets from poor sections to the non-poor sections. The BJP demanded an immediate roll back of hike in all administrative prices from diesel, gas, petrol, rail and other services as the common man is reeling under unprecedented economic burden.

The BJP accused that the Congress led UPA government has become synonymous with corruption. The VVIP Chopper Scam and the Farm Loan Waiver scams are the latest additions in this government’s unending list of corruption. It is fascinating to note that Italy, which was to benefit from the helicopter deal, went after the bribe givers immediately when they got the wind of corruption, while India, the sufferer of this scam is not ready to trace the bribe takers.

The BJP pointed out that mystery still shrouds over the mention of the recipients as “the family”. A massive farm loan waiver scam has been unearthed by C&AG. More than 34 lakh farmers who were eligible for loan waiver did not get benefited on account of the faulty implementation of the scheme. Instead, more than 24 lakh ineligible farmers became beneficiaries of a windfall benefit through the tardy implementation. The BJP said that corruption also is an important trigger for inflation, a dampener for honest investment and also a reason for growing fiscal deficit.