Showing posts with label Indian Parliament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian Parliament. Show all posts

Thursday, August 10, 2023

PM replies to Motion of No Confidence in Lok Sabha

 Posted On: 10 AUG 2023 8:24 PM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi replied to the Motion of No Confidence


*“I have come to express immense gratitude towards each and every citizen of India for repeatedly showing their trust in the government”

*“Many key legislations did not get the discussion they deserved as the opposition put politics above them”

*“This time period of the 21st century will impact the country for the next thousand years. We all should have a single focus”

*“We have given the youth of India a government free of scams”

*“Today a trust has arisen in the heart of the poor to fulfill his dreams”

*“Opposition is not able to see the trust of people as they are so steeped in distrust”

*“In 2028, when you will bring a No Confidence Motion, the Country will be among the top 3”

*“Opposition believes in changing names but they can’t change their work culture”

*“Freedom fighters and founding fathers of the country always opposed dynasty politics”

*“Crimes against women are unacceptable and the Central Government and the State Government will work to ensure that the guilty are punished”

*“There will be peace in Manipur and it will march on the path of development”

*“I assure the people of Manipur, the mothers and daughters of Manipur that the nation stands by them and the House stands with them”

*“Government will leave no stone unturned so that Manipur gets back on the track of development”

*“Our government has given first priority to the development of the Northeast”

*“For us, Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas is not a slogan but is an article of faith, a commitment”

*“Parliament is not a platform for a Party. Parliament is the revered highest body for the country. Every second here should be utilized for the country”

*“The India of today does not crumble under pressure. The India of today does not bend, does not tire and does not stop”

New Delhi: 10th August 2023 by PIB Delhi//The KTV media)::

Addressing the House, the Prime Minister said that he has come to express immense gratitude towards each and every citizen of India for repeatedly showing their trust in the government. He recalled commenting that it is not a floor test for the government but for those who introduced it in the house in 2018 when the opposition brought a no-confidence motion. “When we went to polls in 2019, the people had declared no confidence in them with utmost strength”, the Prime Minister said as he underlined that both NDA and the BJP won more seats. In a way, the Prime Minister said, the no-confidence motion introduced by the opposition is lucky for the government. He also expressed confidence that the NDA and the BJP will break all records and come out victorious in 2024 with the blessings of the people. 

The Prime Minister said it would have been better if the opposition had participated with due seriousness since the beginning of the session. He mentioned that important legislations were passed in the past few days and they should have been discussed by the opposition who gave preference to politics over these key legislations. “There were many bills that were linked with the fishermen, data, poor, deprived and tribals but the opposition has no interest in them. This was a betrayal of the expectations of the people. They have proven that for them, the party is above the country”, he said. The Prime Minister said that the country is watching the opposition and they have always disappointed the people.   

The Prime Minister pointed out that a time comes in the life of a nation when it breaks free from the old shackles and moves forward with new energy and determination. “This time period of the 21st century is a time of fulfilling all our aspirations. Whatever is shaped during this time period will impact the country for the next thousand years. Therefore, we have a huge responsibility and we should have a single focus- development of the country and full dedication to realize the dreams of the countrymen”, he emphasized. He said that the strengths of our people and youth can take us to our destination. 

He continued, that in 2014 and later, due to the track record the country chose a full majority government as they knew where lies the capability of realizing their dreams. “We have given the youth of India a government free of scams. We have given them courage and the opportunity to fly in the open sky. We have repaired India's standing in the world and have taken them to new heights”, he stressed. “Opposition have made an unsuccessful attempt to break the confidence of the people in the garb of No Confidence Motion”, he said. Shri Modi mentioned the growth in the startup ecosystem, record foreign investment, and new peaks of exports and said, “Today a trust has arisen in the heart of the poor to fulfill their dreams.” He also talked about the NITI report about 13.5 crore people coming out of poverty. 

The Prime Minister mentioned an IMF working paper which states that India has almost eradicated extreme poverty. Quoting the IMF, the Prime Minister said that the Indian DBT Scheme and other social welfare schemes are a ‘logistical marvel’. He also quoted the WHO which states that the Jal Jeevan Mission is helping save 4 lakh lives in the country and the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan helping save 3 lakh lives. “These are the poor people of the country who reside in urban slums”, he added. Quoting UNICEF on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Prime Minister said that it is helping the poor families of the country save Rs 50,000 per year. 

Criticizing the ostrich approach of the opposition the Prime Minister said that they are not able to see the trust of people as they are so steeped in distrust. The Prime Minister said that the opposition's bad language and constant nitpicking works like a ‘Kala Tika (to ward off bad omen). 

The Prime Minister said that all the target institutions of the opposition’s criticism invariably shine and called it the ‘opposition’s secret boon’. “Whoever they wish bad for, ends up doing well”, he said. 

The Prime Minister recalled the attitude of the opposition towards the developments in the banking sector and said that they tried their best to spread misinformation and confuse the people. However, the Prime Minister interjected, the net profit of the public sector banks increased twofold. He also touched upon the phone banking scam which pushed the country towards an NPA crisis and said that the country has revived itself from this and is now moving forward. Shri Modi also gave an example of HAL which was severely attacked by the opposition. He said HAL is touching new heights of success and has registered the highest-ever revenue. Throwing light on the ills spoken by the opposition about LIC, the Prime Minister said that LIC is growing stronger with each passing day.

“The opposition does not believe in the capabilities and dedication of the nation”, the Prime Minister remarked as he recalled saying a few days ago that in his third term, India will become the third largest economy in the world. As a responsible opposition, the Prime Minister said that they should have questioned the government on their roadmap to achieve this goal or at least provided suggestions but that was not the case. He called out the laxity of the opposition which claims that nothing needed to be done to become the third-largest economy in the world. The Prime Minister said that such an approach by the opposition indicates the lack of policies, intentions, vision, the know-how of world economics and the understanding of the capabilities of India.

The Prime Minister underlined how India sank into poverty and was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1991. However, after 2014 India found a place in the top 5 economies of the world. He said that this was achieved through the mantra of ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ with definite planning and hard work. This will continue and necessary reforms will be done, he added. “In 2028, when you will bring a No Confidence Motion, the Country will be among the top 3”, he told the House. 

Continuing the distrusting approach of the opposition, the Prime Minister talked about their lack of faith in the campaigns like Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan Account, Yoga, Ayurveda, Startup India, Digital India and Make in India.   

The Prime Minister highlighted the infiltration of militants in Kashmir during the Congress rule and that the then government would agree with Pakistan and continue peace talks simultaneously. He also touched upon their association with Hurriyat instead of the Kashmiri populace. Speaking about the Surgical Strike, the Prime Minister mentioned how the opposition chose to believe the narrative spun by the enemy instead of trusting the government on the issue. 

“The opposition is quick to trust those who speak ill of the country”, the Prime Minister said and mentioned a misinformed report by a foreign agency that touted a nation dealing with food insecurity ahead of India in certain parameters. He said that the opposition latches on to such misinformed reports and tries to defame the country at every opportunity it gets. He also gave the example of the Made-in-India Corona vaccine and said that the opposition did not trust it but instead looked towards foreign-made vaccines. He underlined that the opposition does not trust the capabilities of India and its people and similarly, the level of confidence for the opposition in the eyes of the people is at an extreme low.  

The Prime Minister also said that cosmetic changes of alliance building cannot fool the people of the country and a simple change of name will not change the fortune of the opposition alliance. “They have taken the help of NDA to survive but added two ‘I's of arrogance, first for the ego of 26 parties and second ‘I’ for the ego of one family. They even splintered India into I.N.D.I.A.”, he said. “Opposition believes in changing names but they can’t change their work culture”, he emphasized. Referring to the divisive comment of a Minister from the Tamil Nadu Government, the Prime Minister reiterated his faith in the state and said that Tamil Nadu is a state where a stream of patriotism flows continuously. The Prime Minister dwelled on the fascination of the opposition with names and mentioned how every scheme and key marker was named after the members of the one family. The Prime Minister called I.N.D.I.A, a ‘Ghamndia’ coalition (arrogant coalition) and underlined the contradictions among the partners. 

Shri Modi emphasized that the freedom fighters and founding fathers of the country always opposed dynasty politics.  Dynasty system damages the common citizen. Key leaders suffered due to the dynasty politics, he said. He said many portraits of stalwarts who were victims of this type of politics found a place in the Parliament only in the later years of non-Congress governments. He also mentioned the Statue of Unity and Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya. The Museum is dedicated to all Prime Ministers and rises above party politics. 

The Prime Minister reiterated that even though the people of India elected a full majority government twice after 30 years, the opposition is perturbed by a ‘Garib ka Beta’ who is sitting on the Prime Minister’s chair. He pointed out that the misuse of aircrafts and naval vessels in the past by the opposition is now rectified for the transportation of vaccines and bringing back those stuck in foreign lands. 

The Prime Minister warned against the politics of freebies and cited the situation in the neighboring countries as an example of the havoc that such politics can bring. He lamented the tendency of winning elections through reckless assurances and people are being put under tremendous pressure as development projects are being shelved. 

The Prime Minister said that the opposition was never interested in discussing the Manipur situation. He said that the Home Minister explained the issues in great detail with patience and without any politics. The explanation by the Home Minister was an effort to convey the concern of the country and the nation, it was an attempt to convey the House’s confidence to Manipur. It was an honest effort to discuss and find ways. 

Speaking about the Manipur issue, the Prime Minister said that the violence in Manipur is saddening. “Crimes against women are unacceptable and the Central Government and the State Government will work to ensure that the guilty are punished. I assure the people of India on the basis of our effort we are making that there will be peace in Manipur in the coming times”, the Prime Minister said. He assured the people of Manipur, the mothers and daughters of Manipur that the nation stands by them and the House stands by them. He also assured that the Government will leave no stone unturned so that Manipur gets back on the track of development.  

The Prime Minister registered a strong protest against the use of objectionable language for Maa Bharati in the House and said that these are the people responsible for the Partition and who even berated Vande Mataram. Shri Modi also mentioned the Kachchatheevu issue as an example of the failure of the opposition. 

The Prime Minister mentioned three incidents regarding the Northeast. First, on 5th March 1966, when the Airforce was used to attack people in Mizoram. Second, a radio transmission by then Prime Minister Nehru in 1962 when the people of Northeast were left to fend for themselves during the Chinese invasion. He also cited Ram Manohar Lohia’s allegation about the neglect of the region. The Prime Minister informed that in the current government, the Ministers have done 400 night stays in various district headquarters of the Northeast and the Prime Minister himself has visited 50 times. “I have an emotional attachment with the Northeast. Even before becoming PM, I have traveled across the region”, Shri Modi said. 

The Prime Minister reiterated that the situation in Manipur is being presented in a way that the conflict arose only recently but the root cause of all issues in Manipur is Congress and its politics. “Manipur is filled with rich Indian culture and heritage. Manipur is the land of innumerable sacrifices”, he said. He recalled the time of Congress government in the state when every institution operated at the beck and call of extremist organizations and putting up a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi in government offices was forbidden. He also mentioned the bombing of the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Museum of Azad Hind Fauj in Moirang. He further recalled when singing the National Anthem was forbidden in the schools of Manipur and a campaign was initiated to burn the books from libraries. The Prime Minister gave several examples of extremist activities in the region during the Congress rule and mentioned temples shutting their doors at 4 in the evening, the bombing of the Iskcon temple in Imphal that led to loss of lives, and protection money paid to the extremists by government officers. 

The Prime Minister said that in the coming days, the Northeast is going to be a center of development. He said he is aware of the fact that movements in the global system will bring change in South-East Asia and ASEAN countries and what impact will that have on the Northeast. That is why, the Prime Minister said,  “Our government has given first priority to the development of the Northeast.” Shri Modi talked about the investment in the infrastructure in the Northeast and mentioned how modern highways, railways and airports are becoming the identity of the Northeast. “Agartala got connected with rail connectivity for the first time, Goods train reached Manipur for the first time, for the first time modern train like Vande Bharat ran in the region, first greenfield airport was constructed in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim got connected with air travel, for the first time AIIMS opened in the Northeast, National Sports University is being opened in Manipur and Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Mizoram for the first time Northeast’s participation increased in the Council of Ministers, and for the first time, a woman represented Nagaland in the Rajya Sabha.   For the first time so many people from the Northeast were honoured with Padma Awards and a hero like Lachit Burfukan was celebrated on Republic Day and a Museum with the name of Rani Gaidinliu was established”, he said. 

“For us, Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas is not a slogan but is an article of faith, a commitment”, said the Prime Minister adding “I assure the people of the country that I will devote every particle of the body and every moment to the service of the countrymen.”

The Prime Minister emphasized, “Parliament is not a platform for a Party. Parliament is the revered highest body for the country. Therefore, it is imperative that Parliamentarians have certain seriousness for this. So much of resources are being devoted here. Every second here should be utilized for the country.” He added that with a lack of seriousness, one can do politics but the country can not be run. 

In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister said that the trust of the common citizens is soaring to new heights and every Indian is filled with confidence. “The India of today does not crumble under pressure. The India of today does not bend, does not tire and does not stop”, Shri Modi said. He urged the citizens to move forward with trust and resolution and said that it is the trust of the common people that inspires the world to believe in India. He credited the growing trust of the world in India to the growth of confidence in the common citizens. 

In the past few years, the Prime Minister said that the government has succeeded in laying strong foundations for Viksit Bharat. He expressed confidence that it is this foundation which will lead India to become a developed nation by the year 2047. He underlined that the nation has come out of worse situations together and urged the political parties to not misuse the land of Manipur for petty politics. “We must empathize with the pain and suffering and do our best for recovery. This is the way forward”, the Prime Minister appealed.

Friday, August 30, 2013

PM’s statement in the Lok Sabha

30-August-2013 13:35 IST
PM on the current economic situation 
Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha, on the current economic situation in the country: 
“The movement of the exchange rate of the Indian Rupee recently has been a matter of concern. The Rupee has depreciated sharply against the dollar since the last week of May. There are concerns, and justifiably so, of the impact this would have on our economy. 

What triggered the sharp and sudden depreciation was the markets’ reaction to certain unexpected external developments. On May 22, 2013, the US Federal Reserve Bank indicated that it would soon ‘taper’ its quantitative easing as the US economy was recovering. This led to a reversal of capital flows to emerging economies which are now sharply pulling down not just the Rupee, but also the Brazilian Real, the Turkish Lira, the Indonesian Rupiah, the South African Rand and many other currencies. 

While global factors such as tensions over Syria and the prospect of U.S. Federal Reserve tapering its policy of quantitative easing have caused general weaknesses in emerging market currencies, the rupee has been especially hit because of our large current account deficit and some other domestic factors. We intend to act to reduce the current account deficit and bring about an improvement in the functioning of our economy. 

In 2010-11 and the years prior to it, our current account deficit was more modest and financing it was not difficult, even in the crisis year of 2008-09. Since then, there has been a deterioration, mainly on account of huge imports of gold, higher costs of crude oil imports and recently, of coal. On the export side, weak demand in our major markets has kept our exports from growing. Exports have been further hit by a collapse in iron ore exports. Taken together, these factors have made our current account deficit unsustainably large. 

Clearly we need to reduce our appetite for gold, economise in the use of petroleum products and take steps to increase our exports. 

We have taken measures to reduce the current account deficit. The Finance Minister has indicated that it will be below $ 70 billion this year, and we will take all possible steps to ensure that outcome. These are already showing results with a declining trade deficit in both June and July. The Government is confident that we will be able to lower our current account deficit to $70 billion. Our medium term objective is to reduce the current account deficit to 2.5% of our GDP. Our short term objective is to finance the current account deficit in an orderly fashion. We will make every effort to maintain a macro economic framework friendly to foreign capital inflows to enable orderly financing of the current account deficit. 

Coming back to the effects of the Rupee depreciation, we must realise that part of this depreciation was merely a needed adjustment. Inflation in India has been much higher than in the advanced countries. Therefore, it is natural that there has to be a correction in the exchange rate to account for this difference. To some extent, depreciation can be good for the economy as this will help to increase our export competitiveness and discourage imports. 

There are many sectors which are regaining competitiveness in export markets as a result of the fall in the exchange rate. Over the next few months, I expect the effects of this to be felt more strongly, both in exports and in the financial position of exporting sectors. This in itself would correct the current account deficit to some extent. 

However, foreign exchange markets have a notorious history of overshooting. Unfortunately this is what is happening not only in relation to the Rupee but also other currencies. 

The RBI and Government have taken a number of steps to stabilize the rupee. Some measures have given rise to doubts in some quarters that capital controls are on the horizon. I would like to assure the House and the world at large, that the Government is not contemplating any such measures. The last two decades have seen India grow as an open economy and we have benefitted from it. There is no question of reversing these policies just because there is some turbulence in capital and currency markets. The sudden decline in the exchange rate is certainly a shock, but we will address this through other measures, not through capital controls or by reversing the process of reforms. The Finance Minister has clarified this matter at length, and I take this opportunity to reaffirm our position. 

Ultimately, the value of the rupee is determined by the fundamentals of our economy. While we have taken a number of actions to strengthen those fundamentals, we intend to do more. 

Growth has slowed down in recent quarters. I expect growth in the first quarter of 2013-14 to be relatively flat, but as the effects of the good monsoon kick in, I expect it to pick up. There are many reasons for this optimism. The decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Investment in reviving stalled projects will start bearing fruit in the second half of the year. The full effects of the growth friendly measures that have been taken over the last six months, such as liberalizing norms for Foreign Direct Investment, resolution of some tax issues of concern to industry and fuel subsidy reform will come into play over the year resulting in higher growth particularly in manufacturing. Exports are also starting to look up as the growth performance of the rest of the world is showing signs of improvement. So I believe growth will pick up in the second half of the fiscal year barring extreme unforeseen eventualities. 

There are questions about the size of the fiscal deficit. The government will do whatever is necessary to contain the fiscal deficit to 4.8% of GDP this year. The most growth-friendly way to contain the deficit is to spend carefully, especially on subsidies that do not reach the poor, and we will take effective steps to that end. 

Inflation measured by the Wholesale Price Index has been coming down, even though inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index is still too high. The depreciation of the rupee and rise in dollar prices of petroleum products will no doubt lead to some further upward pressure on prices. The Reserve Bank will therefore continue to focus on bringing down inflation. The favourable monsoon and the anticipated good harvest will help bring down food prices and ease the task of controlling inflation. 

All in all, the macro-stabilization process which should support the value of the rupee is under way. I expect that as the fruits of our efforts materialize, currency markets will recover. 

Even while we go about doing what is necessary, it is important to recognize that the fundamentals of the Indian economy continue to be strong. India’s overall public-debt to GDP ratio has been on a declining trend from 73.2% of GDP in 2006-07 to 66% in 2012-13. Similarly, India’s external debt is only 21.2% of our GDP and while short-term debt has risen, it stands at no more than 5.2% of our GDP. Our foreign exchange reserves stand at US$278bn, and are more than sufficient to meet India’s external financing requirements. 

Many foreign analysts worry about banking problems that may arise in the wake of the currency crisis. The Indian banking sector has seen some rise in bad loans. The question that needs to be asked is whether there is a liquidity problem or a solvency problem for the borrowers. My belief is that there is a liquidity problem. Many of the projects are not unviable but only delayed, in contrast to the overbuilding that has characterized the banking sector problems in many other countries. As these projects come on stream, they will generate revenue and repay loans. Our banks are fortunately well capitalized much above the Basel norms and they have the capacity to provide for any non-performing assets until those assets are turned around. 

The easy reforms of the past have been done. We have the more difficult reforms to do such as reduction of subsidies, insurance and pension sector reforms, eliminating bureaucratic red tape and implementing Goods and Services Tax. These are not low hanging fruit and they need active political consensus. 

It is here that I urge Honourable Members across the political spectrum to reflect on the need of the hour. Many laws that are necessary are held up for lack of political consensus. Reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax, which everyone agrees is essential to restore growth and boost revenues, require States to come to an agreement. We need to forge consensus on such vital issues. I urge political parties to work towards this end and to join in the government’s efforts to put the economy back on the path of stable, sustainable growth. 

There may be short term shocks to our economy and we need to face them. That is the reality of operating in a globalised economy, whose benefits we have reaped over the last 15 to 20 years. We will need to ensure that the fundamentals of the economy remain strong so that India continues to grow at a healthy rate for many years to come. That we will ensure. We are no doubt faced with important challenges, but we have the capacity to address them. It is at times like these that the nation shows what it is truly capable of.”

******

SC/NK

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

AUGUST 29: JOIN US IN DELHI

Aim:TO END CHILD SLAVERY IN INDIA

What: Petition Delivery to the Indian Parliament
When: Thursday, August 29 - Assembly time is 10:30 am to 11 am
Where: Indian Parliament - Assembly point is opposite Janta Dal (United) Party Office, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi

RSVP on the right so we know how many people we can expect. (We have free Walk Free shirts for the first 50 RSVPs!)
We are calling the Indian Parliament to pass the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill," which: 1) prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age, 2) outlines harsh sentences for violators, and 3) provides for monitoring of suspected cases of child slavery.

Right now, millions of children in India—some as young as 5 years-old—are kept from school and forced to work 7 days a week for up to 18 hours a day in hazardous situations. Because these children are often left illiterate and plagued with health problems, they are—in a cruel twist of fate—less likely to find employment once they reach adulthood.
Courtesy Photo
This continued enslavement of children traps generations of Indians in a vicious cycle of slavery, illiteracy and poverty.This legislation that would put an end to the enslavement of children in India, but the Parliament has delayed putting it to a vote. It risks not passing without a demonstration of mass public support.
Join us in delivering 1,010,917 signatures calling on the Indian Parliament to immediately pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill and end child slavery in India.