Govt should go for reality check: Rajiv Shukla on WB report

The Congress on Wednesday deprecated the touting of India's improved ranking in the World Bank's 'Ease of doing business' index by the Centre and asked it to do a reality check instead of harping on "certificates" from foreign agencies.

The opposition party said the government should also highlight the 'Hunger report' in the same manner in which India was ranked 100th out of a total of 119 countries.

"Where is the ease of doing business? We demand that the government should go for a reality check on the ground," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla told reporters.

Shukla said he has no objection to the world bank report which only talks of Mumbai and Delhi prior to GST implementation.

He said the world bank report does not take into account the effects of demonetisation and GST, which he claimed have hurt businesses.

Shukla also asked the government to go in for a ground reality check on corruption.

He was retorting to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said that "the ease of doing corruption has been replaced by the ease of doing business".

Congress leader Kapil Sibal lamented that the World Bank report was not about smaller towns where people were finding it difficult to do business."Don't pat your back on the basis of World Bank report. Business has been eased only for those who are technology- savvy.

"What about businessmen in smaller towns like Varanasi, Kanpur, Chandni Chowk in Delhi or in Ludhiana who are not aware. Is this ease of doing business for these small businessmen," Sibal said.

Shukla said the BJP made fun of the UPA when the world bank reports were cited and "asked us whether the government needed certificates from agencies like the world bank".

"The world bank report is based on a survey only in Mumbai and Delhi. What is happening in Kanpur, Bellary and other small towns. The GST factor has not been included in it. I feel it does not even include the effect of the note-ban decision.

"Where is the ease of doing business? Why manufacturing sector is not doing good. There is a contradiction. I appeal to the government to reach out and see the difference on how small businessmen in small towns are doing business and what their problems are," Shukla said.

To another question on the Ram Temple, he said he also visited temple before taking to politics.

PTI