This refers to the article, “More of swan song than spirited speech” (March 11) by Balbir Punj. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's aggressive posturing and spirited defence of his regime's lacklustre performance, in Parliament to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address, was more like an election meeting. Also, the economist PM slipped on facts.
The data on performance of the NDA regime during 1999-2004 and the UPA from 2005-2010, nails Mr Singh's lofty claims. While the NDA added 60 million jobs in manufacturing, service and agriculture, under the UPA dispensation the job market went into a slump and thousands either lost employment or saw their pay package being drastically pruned. The same situation continues even today in every sector. The ‘bailout' package to industry has failed to stem retrenchment, let alone add jobs. Nearly Rs7 lakh crore of infrastructural projects are held up or have not taken off due to procedural delays. The UPA has spent more than Rs22 lakh crore on the social sector, which, ironically, has not benefitted the targeted people. The unscrupulous seem to have been the only beneficiaries.