Between Manmohan and Advani
Posted : March 5, 2010 at 8:56 pm [IST]
I watched the verbal fights between Manmohan and Advani on Lok Sabha channel. It continued outside the parliament and covered in print media too. My simple agony is whom should the people of India believe.
I wouldn’t have bothered about the issues of foreign relation, particularly with Pakistan, and USA.
But some other issues were of national interest as well as concern:
Advani raised questions about the rationality of naming all the big projects after three persons of Nehru-Gandhi family.
He reminded of Manmohan’s promises on one rank one pension for the defence services.
But the most important of the issues raised were on progress on black money in foreign banks, particularly in Switzerland.
And Manmohan’s reply in parliament was:
Advaniji had raised the issue of black money deposited in foreign countries. The Finance Minister had written to Shri Advani in May 2009 providing information about the action taken. Subsequently, we have moved further in the matter. Twenty countries and jurisdictions have been prioritized for entering into agreements regarding exchange of information and assistance in the collection of taxes. Negotiations have been completed with the Bahamas and Bermuda, and steps are being taken for signing of agreements.
We have also approached Switzerland for renegotiation of our tax treaty, so that we can have access to bank information. Negotiations were held in November 2009, and the matter is being pursued for finalizing a new protocol, through which we will be able to obtain information in specific cases. India is an active participant in global fora for improving transparency and exchange of information on tax matters.
Advaniji had also raised the issue of One Rank One Pension to ex-servicemen. He has stated that the commitment I made in my last year’s Independence Day speech and Finance Minister’s promise in his budget speech of July 6, 2009 have not been honoured. This is not correct. The factual position is that we had constituted a Committee under the Cabinet Secretary to look into the issue of One Rank One Pension and other related matters. The Committee did not recommend One Rank One Pension. But whatever recommendations the Committee made to substantially enhance the pensionary benefits of persons below officer rank and commissioned officers were accepted by the Government and this is what I had stated in my Independence Day speech. The recommendations which have been accepted cover what the Finance Minister had promised in his budget speech of 2009. Of the seven recommendations that the Committee made, five have been implemented. The two recommendations which have not been implemented will be implemented very soon.
Unfortunately, as usual Manmohan never gave a timeframe to get the issues closed for the nation.
As expected, Manmohan didn’t reply to the question of rationality of naming everything in the country after Nehru-Gandhi family.
However, according to LK Advani, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion about implementation of enhancement of pension of army personnel has been contested by ex-servicemen.
Why some senior ex-service man can’t clears the confused nation?
How can Indians believe what is told and promised in parliament?
But on price rise, how long the country men keep waiting on the promises of Manmohan to control. The Finance Minister had referred to the huge gap in the prices paid to farmers, the prices prevailing in mandis, and prices charged by the consumers to the retail vendors. A committee now is working on finding the solution to the major chunk grabbed by the intermediaries. Will the politicians find the answer or some expert technocrats will be needed to arrive at political acceptable solution to benefit the farmers and the actual consumers?
Will Manmohan make his contribution in finding a solution within a time frame for the intermediaries making the biggest cuts through hoarding and black marketeers?
- Indra
Category: Indian politics, Government Policy/Administration |
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