New Delhi, August 21
Outlining his priorities to tackle emerging the challenges, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today spoke of his government’s efforts to check the rise in prices and bring peace in Jammu and Kashmir and the troubled areas of the North-East.
Addressing the AICC meeting here, the Prime Minister said the Congress had the main responsibility of meeting the expectations of the people in the mandate of the last Lok Sabha elections. “We are with our allies in the mandate, but the main responsibility is of the Congress,” he said.
Dr Manmohan Singh, who spoke for nearly 70 minutes, also dwelt on the work done by his three-month-old government.
Listing inflation as one of the challenges, Dr Manmohan Singh said his government would give the highest priority to tackling it.
He said the sharp rise in the international prices of oil and fears of an impending drought had fuelled inflationary trends, but the measures taken by the government of slashing customs and excise duties on oil and other products would help contain inflation.
Apprehending a campaign by opposition parties against the government’s management of inflation, the Prime Minister said: “We must be fully prepared to meet the onslaught.” He said the country had adequate foreign exchange reserves, comfortable food stocks and the monsoon had also revived.
“Despite this, if there is still some pressure on the price front, it is due to external factors like the rising international prices of oil or misguided policies of the previous BJP-led NDA government,” he said, adding that controlling prices was his government’s priority.
Dr Manmohan Singh said the last time the Congress was in power it had left a healthy and robust economy and achieved a record 7 per cent rate of growth for three years in a row. “But regrettably, in subsequent years the economic growth slowed down.”
He said his government’s objective of growth and enhanced investment with price stability would be tenaciously pursued.
He identified cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in some areas in the North-East and the Naxal movement in certain states as challenges in internal security.
The government in pursuit of peace and normalcy was ready to talk to any group, provided it abjured violence. He said the government would pay adequate attention to accelerating the pace of development in the North-East. The situation in Manipur was being closely monitored and the government would take all steps to ensure that the people of the state “live in peace and dignity”.
Appealing to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East to help in the “gigantic” task of “national reconstruction,” he said development was possible only in a “secure, peaceful and harmonious environment.”
He called for a new development paradigm that revitalised growth processes.
Referring to the National Common Minimum Programme, he said it was dharma that must guide the government. Promising a new deal to the rural India, Dr Manmohan Singh said his government had taken several steps to address the challenge of water management with the idea of launching a water mission in the future.
He urged the Congress workers to take an active interest in the
healthy growth of the Panchayati Raj institutions and ensure that all parents were motivated to send their children to school.
Dr Manmohan Singh said his government was launching a new food-for-work programme in 150 most-backward districts.
The Prime Minister announced that a mission on rural health delivery and another on urban slum renewal were on the anvil. He said a draft employment guarantee Bill outlined by the National Advisory Council was being seriously considered by his government.
The Prime Minister said the Law Ministry was working on a model comprehensive law to deal with communal violence and the government was close to fulfilling its commitment to repeal POTA.
He said an improved model Right to Information Draft Bill had been received from the National Advisory Council and the government was examining it. The Prime Minister sought national consensus on issues like user charges for water and power so that “the country does not once again land itself in economic crisis.”
Calling upon the Congress workers to supplement the work done by the National Advisory Council, Dr Manmohan Singh said it acted as a bridge between the civil society and the government. On the foreign policy front he said the government was committed to carrying forward the composite dialogue process with Pakistan on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
He assailed the previous government’s policy towards Pakistan, saying their peace initiative was ad hoc and there was no road map.
Dr Manmohan Singh said a neighbourhood of peace and stability was a matter of high priority for the government. He said the government attached great importance to its relations with China.
He said the mandate of the last Lok Sabha elections was for Congress President Sonia Gandhi becoming Prime Minister. “Her decision to not take the post is unique in world history. I feel honoured by the responsibility given to me by her,” he said. The Prime Minister also paid rich tributes to Rajiv Gandhi.
