“Ek Saal Bural Haal — One Year of Modi Government”
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Communist party of India Marxisit (CPIM) today termed BJP government tall claims of development in one year in office as mere propaganda. Contrary to the propaganda that the BJP government has unleashed in one year in office, CPM said that the livelihood conditions of the vast majority of the Indian people are actually declining.
It said that all the three sectors of the economy – industry, agriculture and services – are in a deep crisis. Releasing the booklet “Ek Saal Bural Haal — One Year of Modi Government”, at a Press Conference after the meeting of the Central Committee General, the party General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, said that the massive hikes in the prices of petroleum products in the background of the fall in the international price of crude oil is fuelling all-round inflation, particularly of food items and essential commodities.
He said that claims of Economic Turn Around is false. ” Soon after assuming office, the Central government has changed the basis for the calculation for National Income Accounts. According to this new formula, the GDP has been projected at 7.3 per cent. However, even with this new formula, the growth during October-December 2014 has now been revised downwards to 6.6 per cent from the earlier claim of 7.5 per cent, exposing the falsification of its own earlier claims.
This new formula has estimated the growth of the manufacturing sector as being 7.1 percent for 2014-15. The index of industrial production data however shows that the factory output in the country was only 2.3 per cent. The final private consumption expenditure, a gauge to measure household spending, grew at 6.3 per cent as against 6.2 per cent last year. The investment rate in the economy has not grown as claimed. Gross fixed capital formation reflecting investment rate is 30 per cent, down from 30.7 per cent last year. Further, output of 8 core industries contracted by 0.4 per cent compared to 5.7 per cent growth last year. Therefore, both investment and demand have stagnated. Consequently, the unemployment situation has worsened”, said that booklet “Ek Saal Bural Haal — One Year of Modi Government” .
It said that notwithstanding the hype of `Make in India’, foreign investment both in the equity markets and direct production has declined.
The agrarian distress continues to deepen. Following the drought last kharif season, unseasonal rains and hailstorms damaged standing crops in nearly two crore hectares in various parts of the country. The weather forecast for this year predicts an inadequate monsoon.
The BJP government has reneged on its promise of giving remunerative MSP to farmers. The kisans are finding it difficult to make both ends meet, leading to an increase of 26 per cent in the spate of distress farmers suicides.
The recent unprecedented heat-wave deaths across the country are also linked to the withdrawal of the MNREGA. The work generated in 2014-15 was at least 60 per cent less than earlier. The government is yet to announce any compensation or relief to affected families. The release of foodgrains under the public distribution system declined, virtually negating the assurances given in the Food Security Act, the booklet said.
The services sector which was rapidly growing in recent years, is seeing a fall in the basic index that is used to measure its growth, during the last three months.
On Communal Polarisation the part booklet said: “During this year, the real agenda of the RSS in unleashing vicious communal attacks has been patronised by this BJP government in all spheres. Campaigns of `ghar vapsi’, `love jihad’ etc, and the efforts to replace syncretic Indian history with Hindu mythology continue. Key RSS people are appointed to various crucial positions in academic institutions. Growth of rabid intolerance is reflected in the latest incident at IIT Madras. No action has been taken on any Cabinet minister or MP/MLAs who continue to spew venomous hate speeches across the country. Communal tensions are erupting across the country, the latest being the riots that took place in Atali, Ballabgarh, in the National Capital Region”.
Party said that during this year, the BJP government has been systematically undermining parliamentary procedures by seeking to bypass the Rajya Sabha where it does not have a majority. Nearly 50 legislations were enacted without reference to the Standing Committees, using its majority in the Lok Sabha.
The BJP government has re-promulgated the Ordinance amending the Land Acquisition Act for the third time, even when a Joint Parliamentary Committee has begun examining these amendments. This is unprecedented.