The Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to fulfill its poll promises during its three years in office so far. Farmers and agriculture are in dire straits while price level has continued to rise, making life tougher for the common citizens, said Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Speaking at a Press conference at the Congress Bhawan here on Thursday, the former Chief Minister of Haryana said that since the BJP-led NDA Government assumed office at the Centre, there had been a considerable drop in the index of industrial production with investments also dropping to a substantially low level. He lambasted the Modi government, stating that the promises made by the BJP to farmers during the election had been contradicted in action by the Central Government. “There has been little change in the standards for minimum support price of agricultural produce. During the term of the UPA Government, there used to be an annual increase of about 15 per cent in the MSP whereas under the BJP, there has only been a four per cent hike in MSP. The BJP had promised to implement the Swaminathan report to improve the lot of farmers but has now refused to do so. The condition of agriculture and farmers is so dire now that about 35 farmers commit suicide in the nation every day. On the other hand, the Modi Government is more interested in waving off loans to the corporate sector while completely ignoring the plight of farmers,” said Hooda.
Stating that agriculture was in a bad shape, he stressed that it was important that the centre immediately implement Swaminathan report especially to safeguard interests of small farmers. Expressing his opinion about the demonetisation step taken by the Centre, Hooda termed it a major blunder, adding that it had destroyed the livelihoods of a considerable population of the nation. He questioned how much black money the BJP government had succeeded in bringing back to India from abroad during its three years in office. He also said that despite there being considerable drop in the price of crude oil in the international market, the price of petroleum products had not been brought down proportionately.
He said, “The Modi government has failed to perform in its three years in office so far. It appears as if the Government’s governance is limited to speeches,” he added.
The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh criticised the liquor policy implemented by the state government, adding that it will provide a boost to mafia elements. He also lambasted the BJP state government for rise in price of food grains and for convening the budget session of the assembly in Dehradun contrary to the decision being taken in the previous assembly about holding the session in Gairsain.