News Analysis India

Tag: UPA government

  • White Paper: From Crisis to Confidence: Modi govt’s ‘White Paper’ examines economic evolution since UPA tenure

    The government has released a white paper, shedding light on what it perceives as the economic challenges inherited from the previous administration. The document, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, outlines the alleged shortcomings of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and emphasizes the strides made under the current leadership.

    Economic Comparison

    The white paper underscores contrasting economic conditions between the previous UPA tenure and the present government’s term. It accuses the UPA of leaving behind a “non-performing” economy after a decade in power, contrasting it with the purportedly healthier economic landscape inherited by the current administration from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.Challenges and Progress

    Highlighting the hurdles faced, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) acknowledges the multifaceted challenges in revitalizing the Indian economy. Despite facing what it terms a “hydra-headed challenge,” the government asserts progress in restoring economic fundamentals and global confidence. The paper cites achievements such as India’s substantial contribution to global growth and successful international engagements like the G20 Presidency in 2023.

    Addressing Previous ConcernsThe white paper references past scandals and economic crises during the UPA tenure, including the 2G and Coalgate scams, double-digit inflation, foreign exchange crises, and policy paralysis. In contrast, it highlights current achievements such as extensive 4G and 5G coverage, transparent resource auctions, reduced inflation rates, and record foreign exchange reserves.The white paper concludes by asserting the current government’s progress in overcoming the purported challenges inherited from the previous administration. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defends the timing of the document’s release, emphasizing the need to address past economic issues. However, opposition figures like P Chidambaram from the Congress call for independent scrutiny of the paper’s contents.

    In response to the government’s white paper, the Congress has issued its own document, termed a ‘black paper,’ highlighting concerns such as rising unemployment, sluggish GDP growth, and vacant government positions. Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader, released the document, indicating a continued political debate over economic performance.

    This white paper serves as a comprehensive overview of the government’s perspective on economic governance, inviting scrutiny and debate as the nation approaches a pivotal general election.

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  • UPA wasn’t concerned about Gujarat, says PM Modi

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  In his two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday indirectly blamed the previous UPA government in the Centre for the “lack of concern” for the state’s development.Citing his personal experience, the PM said when he was the Gujarat CM, he felt frustrated in repeatedly explaining the need for an airport in Surat to the then UPA government.

    While addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, he said Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country, but due to the lack of focus, the state’s coastal development remained a big challenge during the post-independence decades. The PM laid the foundation stone and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,400 crore.

    “We were tired of telling the then Central government of the importance of an airport for Surat. Today, you know how many flights operate from there, how many people land there every day, and how it has helped the city’s development. This is the benefit of the double-engine government,” he said.

    He inaugurated Phase-I of road infrastructure works and the main entrance of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City. The PM said Surat would emerge as the safest and most convenient diamond trading hub in the world.

    The PM noted Surat’s textile and diamond business, which sustains the lives of thousands of families across the country. On the National Logistics Policy, the Prime Minister said work was underway on multi-modal connectivity in the state. Giving an example of linking Surat to Kashi and eastern 

    Uttar Pradesh, the PM said truckloads of goods are transported daily, and now the railways and coastal departments have come up with unique innovations to boost the number of shipments. “The railways has changed the design of its coaches in such a way that cargo can easily fit in them. After the initial success, an attempt is being made to run a new train from Surat to Kashi for commercial and passenger services,” the PM added.

    “In the coming years, Surat will also be known for electric vehicles. Today 25 charging stations have been inaugurated in Surat city and the foundation stone for the same number of stations has been laid. This is a big step towards setting up 500 charging stations across Surat. We shall continue the pace of development,” he said.

    The PM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in Bhavnagar. Among the projects is the world’s first CNG Terminal and the brownfield port at Bhavnagar.

    Bhavnagar gets projects worth Rs 5,200 crore

    PM Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,400 crore in Bhavnagar in south Gujarat’s Saurashtra region
    Among projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in Bhavnagar is the world’s first CNG Terminal and the brownfield port at Bhavnagar
    The PM also inaugurated phase-I  of road infrastructure works and as well as work on the main entrance of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City 

    AHMEDABAD:  In his two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday indirectly blamed the previous UPA government in the Centre for the “lack of concern” for the state’s development.
    Citing his personal experience, the PM said when he was the Gujarat CM, he felt frustrated in repeatedly explaining the need for an airport in Surat to the then UPA government.

    While addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, he said Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country, but due to the lack of focus, the state’s coastal development remained a big challenge during the post-independence decades. The PM laid the foundation stone and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,400 crore.

    “We were tired of telling the then Central government of the importance of an airport for Surat. Today, you know how many flights operate from there, how many people land there every day, and how it has helped the city’s development. This is the benefit of the double-engine government,” he said.

    He inaugurated Phase-I of road infrastructure works and the main entrance of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City. The PM said Surat would emerge as the safest and most convenient diamond trading hub in the world.

    The PM noted Surat’s textile and diamond business, which sustains the lives of thousands of families across the country. On the National Logistics Policy, the Prime Minister said work was underway on multi-modal connectivity in the state. Giving an example of linking Surat to Kashi and eastern 

    Uttar Pradesh, the PM said truckloads of goods are transported daily, and now the railways and coastal departments have come up with unique innovations to boost the number of shipments. “The railways has changed the design of its coaches in such a way that cargo can easily fit in them. After the initial success, an attempt is being made to run a new train from Surat to Kashi for commercial and passenger services,” the PM added.

    “In the coming years, Surat will also be known for electric vehicles. Today 25 charging stations have been inaugurated in Surat city and the foundation stone for the same number of stations has been laid. This is a big step towards setting up 500 charging stations across Surat. We shall continue the pace of development,” he said.

    The PM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in Bhavnagar. Among the projects is the world’s first CNG Terminal and the brownfield port at Bhavnagar.

    Bhavnagar gets projects worth Rs 5,200 crore

    PM Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,400 crore in Bhavnagar in south Gujarat’s Saurashtra region
    Among projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in Bhavnagar is the world’s first CNG Terminal and the brownfield port at Bhavnagar
    The PM also inaugurated phase-I  of road infrastructure works and as well as work on the main entrance of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City 

  • PM Narendra Modi, ex-CAG Vinod Rai should apologise for ‘conspiracy’ to oust UPA-II government: Congress

    Nirupam had filed the defamation case against Rai after the former CAG in his book in 2014 made the allegation against him and repeated it in interviews to the media.

  • Inordinate, inexplicable delay in prosecution of UPA era corruption cases: Subramanian Swamy writes to PM

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There is an “inordinate and inexplicable” delay in prosecution of many corruption cases that took place during the UPA tenure, Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy has said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Swamy also said that there is an “induced lack of enthusiasm” of prosecutors in these cases.

    “There is, without doubt, an inordinate and inexplicable delay in prosecution of many corruption cases by the government, which corruption had happened at the UPA tenure at the Centre,” he said in the letter.

    Specifically mentioning 2G scam, Aircel-Maxis and National Herald cases, involving senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Sonia Gandhi, he said there has not been a finality or conviction in these cases.

    “In the past seven years, there has not been a finality or conviction in these cases which is clearly due to the induced lack of enthusiasm of the prosecutors…,” Swamy said.

    He said these delays are hurting the image of the BJP which made fighting corruption a key plank of election campaigns.

    “I am most respectfully urging you to give immediate directions to agency heads, legal officers and prosecutors to sit together, if necessary, and work in coordination and to monitor the progress of cases at regular intervals,” Swamy said.

    He further suggested that an inter-departmental monitoring body can be formed, which works on a regular basis, comprising agency heads and prosecutors to ensure that the anti-corruption cases are pursued diligently.

  • NDA govt is bankrupt, has undone UPA’s good work, says Congress’ Manish Tiwari

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Congress leader Manish Tiwari on Friday said the NDA government at the Centre had gone “bankrupt” due to a massive “accumulated fiscal deficit” of Rs 32 lakh crore for the fiscals 2019-20 and 2020-21.

    He said the Narendra Modi government, which swept to power promising ‘achhe din’, had ruined the country’s economy and its seven-year rule had seen “the four economic fundamentals comprising investment, employment, savings and consumption falling completely flat”.

    “The UPA government, in its 10 years of rule, worked hard to reduce the fiscal deficit. However, the accumulative fiscal deficit in the NDA regime for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 is Rs 32 lakh crore. This means the government has gone bankrupt. This government is on the verge of bankruptcy. The UPA government took 27 crore people put of poverty in 10 years, and the NDA in seven years forced 23 crore of these to sink back into poverty,” he said.

    Tiwari said the Union government, which had collected Rs 25 lakh crore as excise duty on petrol and diesel, was trying to run the government from this amount as it had failed to expand the economy.

    “During the UPA government, the average price of crude oil was around Rs 100 per barrel while petrol used to sell at Rs 50. However, under NDA rule, the average price of crude oil has been Rs 50 per barrel but petrol is selling at Rs 100. Inflation has broken the back of citizens. This (economy in tatters) is not just due to COVID-19, but it started with demonetization and faulty implementation of GST,” the Congress leader said.

    He also attacked the Centre over the sedition law, the need of which has been questioned by the Supreme Court recently, by alleging that the Modi dispensation was labeling legitimate dissenters as “anti-national”, “seditious” and even “downright traitor”.

    “The methodology of this government, from the prime minister downwards, is to shoot the messenger instead of listening to the message.

    The manner in which national security laws are being grossly misused to quell legitimate political dissent has now attracted the attention of our constitutional courts.

    The recent Delhi High Court decision regarding three activists (arrested in the Delhi riots case) and yesterday’s questioning of the sedition law are the outcome of gross misuse of national security laws,” Tiwari stated.

    Speaking on Gujarat politics, Tiwari said his party had a fair chance in the 2022 Assembly polls here due to the COVID-19 outbreak and vaccination mismanagement carried out by the Centre and the state government.

    He said the appointment of the state in charge, unit chief and leader of opposition here is the prerogative of the Congress chief.

    While state in charge Rajiv Satav died of post COVID-19 complications, state Congress chief Amit Chavda and leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani had resigned from their posts after the party was drubbed in the local bodies polls held in February this year.

     

  • Editorial: – Know, why Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda Merged ?

    Taking lessons from the bank scandal on the calls of the namdass during the UPA regime, the NDA government now looks for banking reform.

    It is notable that in the same way Indira Gandhi made important decisions for the nationalization of banks during her prime ministership. She nationalized 14 private banks on July 19, 1969. These banks were mostly occupied by large industrial houses. After this, the second round of nationalization took place in 1980, under which seven more banks were nationalized.

    >> According to Arun Jaitley, the government had declared in the budget that the merger of banks is its main agenda and the first step has been taken in this direction. Talking about the weakening of the country’s banking system, the Finance Minister said that due to non-payment of new loans, the investment in the corporate sector was adversely affecting. Arun Jaitley said that this merger will strengthen the bank and the ability to lend them will increase.

    >> The Finance Minister assured that the merger of these three banks is not bad news for any of these employees. “Any employee will not face any adverse situation,” he said. Earlier, the central government had merged the State Bank of India and its five associate banks last year.

    >> Arun Jaitley further said that due to the huge lending and huge gains in the stranded debt (NPA), the condition of the banks is poor. In the financial year 2017-18, the figure of NPA has been more than Rs 10 lakh crore. According to the finance minister, how bad the situation is, it can be traced only in 2015. He attributed this to the previous UPA government and said that he kept the eyes on NPA issue.

    Mergers like SBI will not have any adverse effect on existing service conditions of the employees of the three banks. The government has a majority stake in 21 banks. These banks have more than two-thirds of the bank’s assets in Asia’s third largest economy.

    However, along with these public banks, there is a large stake in trapped debt. The area is affected due to this immersed debt and millions of rupees are required in the next two years to comply with global Basel-III capital regulations.

    Smriti Irani had said a few days ago that Sonia’s leadership had done bad things to the banks.

    It is worth noting that PM Modi also said this during a program organized here on the occasion of the inauguration of the payment bank of the Postal Department a few days ago. He said that until four to five years ago, most of the capital of the banks was reserved for close relatives of only one family. PM Modi said that since 2008, a total of 18 lakh crore rupees had been given for the year 2008, but in the next six years, this figure has reached Rs 52 lakh crore.

    PM Modi asked for someone’s name, “Loan on call calls made by Namdhars were given. He said that on the anniversary of the nominees, the banks lend millions of rupees to the traders keeping the rules in mind. ”

    PM Modi had said that it was well aware that debt will not be made, banks have given loans to some people on the order of a family. When the borrowers were unable to pay the debt, the banks were pressured to reorganize that loan. They accused the previous UPA government of concealing information related to non-executed assets (NPAs).

    PM Modi said that after coming to power in the NDA government in 2014, he analyzed the situation in a big way and asked banks to strictly recover the outstanding loans.

    It is true that the Congress has laid landmines in the way of the economy. Our government presented the correct picture of NPA and the previous government scandal was brought to the fore. During the last four years, all the loans have been reviewed more than Rs. 50 crores and the rules have been asked to ensure strict compliance.

    ’12 lacs of Rs. 1.75 crores on 12 major debt defaulters. The other 27 defaulters have owed one lakh crore rupees. We have never given any loan to one of these 12 big defaulters.