White Paper on UPA decade: Congress lacked 'neeyat and niyam', says FM Sitharaman
Tag: White paper
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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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On BJP’s White Paper, Congress Mulling ‘Black Paper’ Move Against Modi Government |
The Congress party is planning to bring a ‘Black Paper’ against the BJP government after the ruling party said it will present a ‘White Paper’ on earlier UPA government’s economic mismanagement. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to present the report. As the government plans to present the white paper, the ongoing budget session of the Lok Sabha has been extended until Saturday, February 10. There will be no Question Hour session on the extended date. As per a Lok Sabha Secretariat notification issued on Wednesday, extension of the current session of Lok Sabha, as announced by the Chair today (7.2.2024) and agreed to by the House, the current session of Lok Sabha has been extended up to Saturday, February 10, 2024, in order to provide sufficient time for completion of essential items of Government Business.
The BJP has planned to present the White Paper which will show the mismanagement of the economy by the earlier UPA government and the steps taken by the Modi government to improve the situation. It may be notable that under PM Narendra Modi, the Indian economy has become the fifth largest in the world from 11th in 2014.
The last session before Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year was started with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of two Houses on January 31. It was earlier to be concluded on February 9.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, stated that his party is prepared to address any papers the government brings to the House. “Narendra Modi has Congressphobia. We are ready to fight. The government can bring a ‘White Paper’, Red paper, black paper, we have no problem. However, Mehul Choksi’s papers should also be presented to the House,” Chowdhury told ANI.
Welcoming the idea of bringing a ‘White Paper’ to the House, BJP Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the document is a much-awaited call and should be brought so that the public becomes aware of the corruption that occurred during the UPA tenure before 2014. “The government has passed the finance bill and the interim budget. If I recall correctly, the PM mentioned in his speech that they would present a White Paper on the mess that prevailed prior to 2014. I think it is likely to be listed tomorrow. It is a much-awaited call,” said Rudy.
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Congress likely to bring ‘Black Paper’ in response to Modi govt’s ‘White Paper’ on economic mismanagement
In response to the Central government’s plan to release a ‘White Paper’ criticising the Congress led UPA government’s tenure, the grand old party is preparing to counter with its own ‘Black Paper’, highlighting the shortcomings of the Modi government’s 10-year rule.
ANI sources said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to spearhead the presentation of this ‘Black Paper’, aiming to provide a contrasting narrative to the government’s assessment and offer their perspective on the past decade of governance.
Earlier, during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the interim Budget, Jayant Sinha, chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance, talked about the significance of the government’s forthcoming ‘white paper.’ According to Sinha, this document will shed light on India’s economic struggles when the Congress-led UPA government relinquished power and the subsequent efforts made by the current administration to reverse the situation.
He emphasised that India was categorized among the ‘fragile five’ economies globally during the UPA regime in 2013, indicating the severity of the economic challenges at that time.
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‘Punjab is in deep debt trap due to previous regimes’, says state government’s White Paper
Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: The Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab on Saturday admitted the state is being pushed deeper into a debt trap in a White Paper tabled in the Assembly, but sought to blame the previous governments for the economic morass.
The economies of quite a few state governments are under similar stress, but it is only Punjab that has accepted it upfront. Just last week, the RBI had warned that the economies of Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Bihar are in deep trouble. But Kerala sought to rebut it.
Punjab’s debt has spiraled to 2.63 lakh crore and the state has Rs 24,351.29 crore worth liabilities to service in the immediate term, the document said, warning of an impending crisis. “The current debt indicators of the state are probably the worst in the country, pushing it deeper into a debt trap,” it claimed. The White Paper was tabled by state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on the second day of ongoing budget session.
It quantified the current debt as a whopping 45.88 per cent of the state GDP. Debt ballooned 44.23 per cent in the last five years at a compounded annual growth rate of 7.6 per cent, it added. Pointing fingers at the previous Congress government, it said they left an immediate and medium-term liability of Rs 24,351.29 crore. Of that amount, Rs 13,759 crore will go towards non-payment of arrears of the sixth pay commission and Rs 7,117.86 crore for power subsidy arrears.
Besides, the share of central taxes plus grants from the Centre, which was 24 per cent of total revenue receipts in 2011-12, has doubled to 46 per cent in 2021-22. This comes as the state’s tax revenue as a percentage of total revenue receipts decreased from 72 per cent to 48 per cent during the same period.
With the GST compensation regime ending in June, the state government would be staring down a big hole in its finances to the tune of Rs 14,000-15,000 crore in 2022-23 itself, the document pointed out.
Total outstanding debt: Rs 2,63,265 crore
How it ballooned
1980-81 – Rs 1,009 crore
2011-12 – Rs 83,099 crore
2021-22 – Rs 2,63,265 crore
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Pegasus row: Kapil Sibal demands SC-monitored probe, white paper in Parliament by government
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Former IT minister and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal Tuesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe in the Pegasus snooping matter and a government white paper in Parliament explicitly stating whether the Israeli spyware was used by it or not.The Opposition has stepped up its attack on the government over the issue, while the Centre has categorically rejected all allegations of snooping, saying attempts were being made to “malign” Indian democracy.
Addressing a press conference at his residence here, Sibal hit back at Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on Monday that allegations of surveillance were only aimed to humiliate India at the world stage, saying the “nation is not being maligned, but due to your government’s actions, the government is being maligned”.
Referring to Shah’s ‘Aap Chronology Samajhiye’ comment, the Congress leader said, “We are understanding the chronology, I want to say to Amit Shah ji ‘Aap iski chronology samajhiye (You should understand the chronology of this matter), this was done between 2017-2019.”
The probe should be Supreme Court-monitored like in the Jain Hawala matter in which there was a “continuing mandumus” (meaning, the Court keeping close watch on the probe), he said, adding “we cannot trust the agencies of this government”.
Sibal also said that the proceedings should be in-camera so that everyone gets to know the truth.
Asked about his party demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, he said it could be in addition to the Supreme Court-monitored probe, and added that he was speaking as a concerned citizen of India.
The government should also present a white paper in Parliament and also clearly state whether it or its agencies deployed the spyware Pegasus.
“The government should say that we have never used Pegasus but they have not said that. A big problem arises if the government has not done it or its agencies have not done it, then who has done it. NSO (the Israeli technology firm whose spyware is Pegasus) says it does not sell to anyone except government agencies,” Sibal said.
“You say that you are bringing private data protection but you are doing data collection through Pegasus. This is a national security threat for having leaked data to an agency which has nothing to do with India,” he said.
If the government or its agencies have intercepted a minister’s phone by introducing malware in his phone then it is a violation of the Official Secrets Act, Sibal said, in an apparent reference to Prahlad Singh Patel’s number listed as potential targets for hacking through the Israeli spyware.
He also hit out at IT and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for his statement in Parliament that in the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on Whatsapp and they were categorically denied by all parties, including in the Supreme Court.
“He also said there was a hearing in the Supreme Court and in that all parties said that no such thing happened. I was the lawyer for WhatsApp, the chief justice asked orally when someone alleged that this was happening through Pegasus ‘if this was happening’ and I said, ‘ask the government’,” said Sibal, who was the Minister of Communications and Information Technology between January 2011- May 2014.
The government has not stated till now whether such a thing was happening or and now the minister says all parties denied it, Sibal asserted, adding this amounts to breach of privilege as it is “false”.
The government on Monday categorically rejected in Lok Sabha allegations of snooping on politicians, journalists and others using Pegasus software, asserting that illegal surveillance was not possible with checks and balances in the country’s laws, and alleged that attempts were being made to malign Indian democracy.
An international media consortium reported on Sunday that over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including of two ministers, over 40 journalists, three opposition leaders besides scores of business persons and activists in India could have been targeted for hacking through the spyware.
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Rahul Gandhi releases white paper on Covid management, says it was ‘disastrous’
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Alleging that the management of the first and second wave of COVID by the Centre was “disastrous”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday released a ‘white paper’ by the party on the handling of COVID-19 and urged the Union government to prepare for the third wave by improving medical infrastructure and carrying out vaccination on a war footing to protect all Indians.Claiming that 90 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in the second wave were “needless” as they were due to oxygen shortage, Gandhi, who held a virtual press conference on the pandemic situation, also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his “tears did not save the lives, but oxygen could have saved them”.
The Congress leader, however, said the aim of the ‘white paper’ was not to point fingers at the government but to help the nation prepare for the third wave of infection as the whole country knows that a third wave will strike.
Asserting that the 150-page-long document was a result of discussions within the Congress and with experts, Gandhi said it has ‘four-pillar’ strategy–information and insights into what went wrong and how to correct them, preparation for the third wave, which includes developing critical infrastructure like oxygen and other medical supply and the idea of an economic assistance package to assist the poorest and the weakest.
The fourth element of the paper is to have a COVID compensation fund.
Attacking Gandhi over the ‘white paper’, BJP leader Sambit Patra accused him of playing politics over COVID crisis, and said when something good happens in the fight against coronavirus, the Congress and Rahul Gandhi “specially do something to derail it”.
“Yesterday was a significant day when India became the first country in the world to administer 87 lakh vaccine doses in one day. People seemed excited and jubilant. There is a feeling that India is winning in its fight against coronavirus, just then Rahul Gandhi spoke of white paper and tried to derail it,” BJP national spokesperson said.
Gandhi said,”Yes, good work has happened yesterday (highest number of vaccines administered) but this is not a series of events. The government has to make this process work not just for one day but every day until we have vaccinated our whole population.”
The Congress leader also urged the Central government not to have bias against non-BJP-ruled states and treat all states equally for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Gandhi alleged that he did not take the second wave seriously as he was busy fighting elections in West Bengal and his focus was elsewhere.
“The Prime Minister’s tears cannot wipe the tears of those who lost the lives of their dear ones.
The families know that when their father, mother, brother, sister died, the Prime Minister was not there.
The PM’s tears did not save the lives of those who died, but oxygen could have saved them,” he said, while taking a swipe at the PM for turning emotional during his address to the nation earlier this month.
The former Congress chief said doctors have told him that “90 percent of the deaths during the second wave were needless.
They could have been saved had timely oxygen and medicines been provided to them”.
Around 3.89 lakh COVID deaths have been reported in India so far with a majority of them during the second wave.
The country’s daily infections have on Tuesday come down to 42,640 new cases, the lowest in 91 days, after reporting over 4.5 lakh cases during the peak.
The former Congress chief said it is pretty clear that the management of the first and second wave was “disastrous” and the party has tried to point out reasons in its white paper.
“This is a blueprint on how to react to the third wave, which is going to come. The idea behind our white paper report on COVID-19 is to provide insights and information so that avoidable deaths can be prevented in the coming waves. GOI must work on our constructive inputs in the interest of the country,” he later tweeted.
Asserting that the central pillar to fight COVID was vaccination, Gandhi said it was important that “we aggressively do vaccinations and cross this bridge over 100 percent vaccination as soon as possible, because that is the only protection.”
“It is important that the government prepares itself for what is going to come,” he said, adding that it needs to have the infrastructure ready, which was not there during the first and second wave, and have oxygen supply and medicines required ready.
Noting that vaccinating 50 percent of the population would not help, he said everyone should be vaccinated as fast as possible.
“Vaccinations should be done fast on a war footing, as a mission”.
“If the second wave was bad, the third wave would be worse,” Gandhi said, and added that the virus is smart and is mutating fast and the government has to evolve a dynamic and responsive vaccine policy by selecting vaccines that are effective.
He also attacked the Centre for not giving compensation to families of COVID victims, and said if the government can take money out of their pockets as tax on fuel, why can’t it pay adequate compensation to those who lost earning members.
Gandhi also said that this is not the time for claiming victory over COVID as the virus has hurt the country and will continue to hurt in the third wave and the consequent ones.
Urging the Prime Minister to step up vaccine production for the benefit of all, he said he should “not get into marketing gimmicks, as done in the past”.
He also alleged that the government was hiding the truth about the number of COVID deaths.
“In my view, the number of death is at least 5-6 times (more),” he alleged.
But, it is not productive for us to now get into the discussion of how many people have died, he added.
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Amid raging pandemic, Uttar Pradesh Congress calls for white paper on state’s COVID Care Fund
By PTI
LUCKNOW: The Congress on Sunday demanded the Uttar Pradesh government release a white paper on the state’s COVID Care Fund amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases.In a statement issued here, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said the COVID Care Fund was created in April 2020 through which people from different sections of society deposited money.
The MLA funds were suspended for a year, and 30 percent salary of the ministers and legislators cut and deposited in the COVID Care Fund.
It was said that the money would be used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lallu said no one knows where this fund is in the second wave of COVID-19.
“Where is the fund being spent now? The people in the state are facing a shortage of oxygen, medicines, and basic facilities. In this scenario, where is the COVID fund being spent, nothing is known,” Lallu said adding that the government should release a white paper on this issue.
The UP Congress chief also claimed that the money meant for being used to provide medical treatment to the people was diverted.
“As a result in the second wave of COVID-19, the government has left the people to die. Today because of the laxity and insensitivity of the Yogi Adityanath government, every citizen is fighting the COVID pandemic at their own level and in their own capacity,” Lallu said.
He also said the UP Chief Minister in a written reply to the UP Legislative Assembly had said that till July 2020, Rs 412 crore was deposited from various sources, of which Rs 252 crore was used to buy medical equipment and to help the migrant laborers.
“Where the rest of the Rs 160 crore has gone is not known. Any information about money being deposited in the COVID Care Fund has not been made public. Why is it so?” Lallu questioned in the statement.