Govt failed to take steps for Aam Admi: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Mar 6: Strongly criticising the UPA government for not taking any steps for health, education and food security of 'Aam Admi'(the common man), the CPI(M) today demanded a shift in the focus of economic reforms and policies to ensure safer livelihood to people so as to bridge the yawning gap between ''shining India and suffering India''.

Participating in the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said though farmers were committing suicide, not many steps have been taken to provide food security to the people. The government is going for ''jobless or jobloss growth'' which would result in a rise in crimes and terrorism, he said, demanding correction.

Pointing out that the per capita availability of foodgrains now was even lesser than that at the time of World War II or the Bengal famine, he said situation needs to be corrected by a ban on future trading and more allocation for the agriculture sector. This was also required to check the rising prices of essential commodities.

Though the government talks of 'Aam Admi', the actual allocations were just opposite, he charged and said despite commitment of making allocation of about 6 per cent of the GDP for education and 3 per cent for health, the government has made an outlay of just about 2.87 per cent of the GDP for education and just 1.39 per cent of the GDP for health care, which is abysmal.

This mismatch between the Common Minimum Programme(CMP) and the actual allocation indicates that the CMP would remain merely a policy document and never be implemented, he regretted and asked the government to take steps to correct this impression.

Pointing out that everywhere except urban India the unemployment among the youth was growing, Mr Yechury said this jobless or jobloss growth pose the danger of the youth taking to criminal activities and growth of terrorism. Women were the worst sufferers of this jobless growth as their share in the organised sector employment is declining fast, he said.

Though there has been growth of the revenue by 37 per cent, the overall expenditure has grown only by 16 per cent, he pointed out and said, ''The government should not become a victim of fiscal fundamentalism in the name of fiscal prudence. It will be disastrous for the economy and the country.''

Mr Yechury said the ban on future trading should include all essential commodities as that was the major cause of inflation. He welcomed the expansion of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to 330 districts and said adequate allocations should be made to effectively implement it. Stating that the thrust on growth should incorporate a human face, he said that a bill on providing social security to unorganised sector workers be brought soon.

Criticising the government policy on Special Economic Zones, he said it would fuel regional economic imbalance. Mr Yechury demanded an amendment in the Land Aquisition Policy of 1894 and review of the tax concessions at present being given to SEZs.

Stating that several incidents of outbreaks of communal violence in recent times have mostly been whipped up for political support, the CPI(M) leader demanded a separate sub-plan for minority development on the lines of tribal sub-plan.

Criticising the government for not making any mention of Women's Reservation Bill in the President's address, Mr Yechury said though he understands the predicament of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sympathises with him, the bill should be brought in Parliament as promised in the CMP.

He also demanded the proposed National Judicial Commission should have representatives from judiciary, executive, legislature and bar to decide appointment and tranfer of judges and ensure greater judicial accountablity.

Disapproving of the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said thrust be put on developing hydro-electric power in cooperation with Nepal as hydro-electric power was cheaper and safer than nuclear power. He also urged the government to merge its policies of IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) and India-China and Russia to forge a bigger front which could work for developing a multi-polar world.

''Move in this direction and do not become a victim of arm-twisting,'' was the advice Mr Yechury gave to the government. He also asked the government to shift its policy and create a new India.

UNI

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