The BJP on Thursday demanded the UPA Government to come out with a “white paper” on the economic situation of the country. The party blasted leaders of the ruling Congress for making a mockery of the aam admi with its latest poverty figures.
“Economic situation is bad. We demand the government to come out in the next Parliament session with a white paper on the economic situation. The government needs to explain devaluation of rupee, growing unemployment, rising inflation and other such crucial issues,” senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters. Questioning the parameters to determine BPl criteria, Joshi said the latest figure only proves that Government defines poverty as per its whims and fancy. “It (Government) increases the number of the poor or decreases it as and when it wants,” Joshi said. The Planning Commission had stated that the number of BPl population now stands at 21.9 per cent.
Referring to separate findings by committees headed by Naresh Chandra, Arjun Sengupta and Suresh Tendulkar, Joshi said the poverty figures are much higher that what are being claimed by the Government. He said the Naresh Chandra Committee had said the poverty figure should be “drastically revised upwards to 50 per cent though it should be 80 per cent”. Arjun Sengupta committee had claimed 79.8 per cent were in BPl category. Joshi said if calculations are made at the 2013 rates then more funds would be required for survival as cost of grains, transport, and so on has gone up.
“The Government does not have the funds that would be required to be spent on providing foodgrains when the Food Security Bill is passed so it is decreasing the number of poor,” Joshi said, adding that by doing so the Government would have to fend for less people under the Act. He said that with the Centre maintaining there are very less number of BPl persons the burden would fall on the State Governments when the Food Bill is passed. “By reducing the number of those below the poverty line the funds needed under the Food Security Act will be reduced,” Joshi said, adding that the Centre will conveniently tell the State concerned that it has more people below the poverty line and hence it should bear the rest of the expenditure.
“We charge the Government with making a mockery of the plight of the poor people and with misleading them,” he said. Joshi also dismissed statements by Congress leaders Rasheed Masood and Raj Babbar that one can have food for Rs 5 and Rs 12 respectively in Delhi and Mumbai. “You cannot have food for this amount in (my constituency) Varanasi. Even then, any Congress leaders wanting to have food for Rs 5 in Delhi can approach me for this sum,” Joshi quipped. “We will give Rs 12 to the Congress leaders and let them show us how they can have one meal with it,” Joshi said, adding, “Hope it is not e-foodIJ” The BJP leader maintained that a poor wage earner gets around Rs 20 per day and it would be impossible for him to spend Rs 24 per day for two meals. The quality of the food and whether it is subsidised and available to all at this rate are other factors to be borne in mind.