This is what is happening in the economic picture : impression is given that every thing is all right, every thing is improving, there is nothing to worry about; the prices are fine. But the Economic Survey, when it tries to deal with the question of price, starts with that this is not a question where you can be complacent about. This is a very grave warning coming from an expert body of persons functioning in the Finance Ministry about the economic situation, about the price situation. And what does this President’s Address say?
It says :
“While the price rise in the previous year was about twelve per cent...
It gives a comparison with the previous year - that was the bad Government’s performance and this is, this good Government’s performance. There is no price rise, every thing is all right. This is misleading. The President’s speech must not be, at least, misleading.
Again this is what they are complaining :
“The Government inherited an economy in which poverty and employment were acute, particularly in the rural areas and in which the development of the past 30 years had not benefited large numbers.
This is their common theme; this is what the Janata Government has been saying, nothing was done in the last 30 years.’ This is a repetition of the same thing. I tell you, whatever you are able to do now, is because of what we achieved in 30 years. Do not forget this. Do not be disloyal to the history. What has been given to you, you yourselves have admitted.
For example, I find in the Budget speech that the Finance Minster himself has admitted one important thing. It is a good thing when such an admission comes When a person tries to deal with facts, truth has to come out. Here is that truth. On page 29 while explaining the fiscal strategy of his Government, the Finance minster says.
“The fiscal strategy underlying my proposal....”
I have got many differences with the proposals, but I am now talking about his strategy, the strength that he got for that strategy; that is what he was referring to :
The fiscal strategy underlying my proposals seeks to take advantage of the favourable food and foreign exchange situation for generating fresh expansionary impulses in our economy”