By: MOHAN GURUSWAMY
To my mind “Modi Hatao” is a perfectly appropriate agenda considering how useless Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned out to be, and the damage he has done to the economy with his Tughlakian ways.
To discover how useless he has been, one only has to read the BJP agenda of 2014 whose main points are listed below. But the main drivers of economic growth were 100 new cities; a high speed rail network connecting the four main cities; tackling the NPA issue; stepping up capital expenditure; reducing the trade gap, particularly with China; speeding up military modernisation by “Make in India”; and last not the least return of money stashed abroad.
Instead of 100 new cities, we got something called 100 ‘smart’ cities, whatever that means.
Instead of a high speed rail network linking the four major metros, we got the beginning of a “bullet’ train between Ahmedabad and Bombay.
In 2014 NPS’s were at Rs.2.50 lakh crores. In 2018 it has risen to Rs.9.50 lakh crores. The top defaulters continue to be the top defaulters and defaults are now astronomical.
Capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP has remained flat. The trade gap has risen from $125 billion to $145 billion despite the fact that the price of oil, our biggest import, reduced from a peak on $104 a barrel in 2014 to $65 a barrel now, after having touched $42 a barrel in 2016. Revenue buoyancy is mainly due to the increase in oil taxes from Rs.1.69 lakh crores in 2016 to Rs.3.38 lakh crores last year, out of a total indirect tax revenue of Rs.9.98 lakh crores. And the alleged money abroad remains abroad, not even coming back as FDI.
Instead of military modernisation by “Make in India”, the military still has not got even a new rifle, bullet proof vests for jawans, or vehicles, and the only equipment bought involve huge suspected kickbacks. Against these all we have got is Lies. Lies about GDP growth. Lies about inflation.Lies about jobs created. Lies about history. In fact LIES are the leitmotif of this regime. All good enough reasons to throw out this government. It will be very difficult to sink below this.
Now read the other main promises made in 2014. Scroll down and decide what the achievements are?
The main points of the BJP’s 2014 manifesto were:
# The party reiterates its stand to explore all possibilities within framework of Constitution to facilitate construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
# Reiterating its stand on Article 370 and discussing with all stakeholders for abrogation of the Article.
# Ensuring minimisation of black money and setting up of a task force for this purpose.
# Putting in place strict measures and special courts to stop hoarding and black marketing.
# Setting up a Price Stabilisation Fund.
# Unbundling FCI operations into procurement, storage and distribution for greater efficiency.
# Evolving a single National Agriculture Market.
# Promoting and support area specific crops and vegetables linked to food habits of the people.
# Developing high impact domains like labour intensive manufacturing, tourism, and strengthening traditional employment bases of agriculture and allied industry.
# Harnessing opportunities provided by the upgradation of infrastructure and housing.
# Encouraging and empowering youth for self employment and transforming employment exchanges into career centres.
# Eliminating corruption through public awareness, e-governance, rationalisation and simplification of tax regime.
# Harmonising Centre-state relations by evolving model of national development driven by the states.
# Setting up a Team India initiative which will include the PM and CMs as equal partners.
# Ensure fiscal autonomy of states and creation of regional councils of states of common problems and concerns.
# National Development Council and Inter-state Council will be revived and made into active body.
# Involving state governments in promotion of foreign trade and commerce.
# Greater decentralisation through smaller states.
# Special emphasis on improving connectivity in Northeast region.
# Massive infrastructure development in NE region.
# Complete all pending fencing work along the India-Bangladesh and India-Myanmar border.
# Dealing with insurgency with a firm hand.
#BJP to draft a Uniform Civil Code drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times.
# Foreign policy will be guided through pragmatism and doctrines of mutually beneficial and interlocking relationships.
# Launching a massive Clean Rivers Programme with people’s participation.
# Pursuing friendly relations with neighbours and at the same time not hesitate from taking strong stand when required.
# Reviving the anti-terror mechanism which has been dismantled by the Congress and putting in place swift and fair trial of terror-related cases.
# Insulate intelligence agencies from political intervention and interference.
# Strengthening DRDO and encourage private sector participation including FDI in selected defence industries.
# Strengthening physical infrastructure with expediting work on freight and industrial corridors.
# Setting up of gas grids and national optical fibre network upto the village level.
# Launching of diamond quadrilateral project of high-speed rail network (Bullet trains).
# Setting up of agri rail network catering to needs of perishable farm products.
# Launching of 50 new tourist circuits for the development of tourism.
# Universalisation of secondary school education and skill development and establishment of national e-library.
# Implementation of national education policy.UGC to be restructured and transformed into higher education commission.
# Ensuring urgent steps for safety of migrant workers and communities from Northeast and other states.
# Pursuing an agenda of equal and rapid development of all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
# Return of Kashmiri Pandits to the land of their ancestors with full dignity and security.
# Evolving further the PPP model into a People-Public-Private Partnership (PPPP).
# Strengthening self-governance and empowering Panchayati Raj institutions with a devolution of functionaries and funds.
# Consolidating Gram Sabha institutions, involving people, in policy formation.
Now that you have scrolled down list, what do you think they have even partially achieved? Take any one of their major professions. Some which they used to whip up emotions. Ram temple. Article 370. Uniform Civil Code. Fellow citizens they just conned the 31% of those who voted for them by selling a list of lies. Is there any sight of the achche din we were promised?
Courtesy www.thecitizen.in
