Both the Centre and States should focus on governance for a full five years without any distraction and implement structural reforms for sustainable development besides saving tens of thousands of crores in election expenses. Let’s at least debate the idea The Prime Minister’s idea of “one nation, one election” is being staunchly opposed by many political parties, mainly on the grounds of it being undemocratic and an assault on the federal polity and, hence, unconstitutional. Opposition parties have argued that in the case of simultaneous poll to both Parliament and State Assemblies, national issues will dominate over State-specific subjects. This may yield fortuitous benefit to the dominant national party as the voter won’t be able to clearly articulate his/her choice...
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Category: Black money & Corruption
Where are the funds?
The Congress has assured regular income for the poor but how will it identify the beneficiaries? And won’t the NYAY scheme burden the economy? During its over five decades of rule, the Congress institutionalised the culture of doles in the name of its much trumpeted garibi hatao (poverty alleviation) programme even as majority of the people continued to remain poor. Even Prime Minister Modi continued with doles but changed the narrative with a pledge to empower the poor, create jobs and increase their income to ensure that these benefits reached the beneficiaries in full. Besides, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, his Government is giving Rs 6,000 per year to 120 million small and marginal farmers. With general elections...
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Surgical strike on money launderers
For generations, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats [both integral part of the ruling establishment] and dubious industrialists and businessmen have indulged in generation of ‘black money’ – euphemism for the money that goes ‘unaccounted’. In a quid pro quo, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats take bribe in lieu of granting favor to industrialists and businessmen in project approvals and enabling them escape payment of tax on their income and wealth. The former also siphon-off funds meant for disbursement to the poor under welfare schemes. The bribe money, embezzled/misappropriated funds and cash going off the taxman’s radar constitute ‘unaccounted’ or black money. Apart from investing in conventional modes such as gold, jewellary, real estate etc or stashing abroad, money launderers have also sought...
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‘Dole-deal’ versus ‘fair deal’
Addressing the India Today Conclave on March 3, 2019, prime minister, N Modi lambasted the erstwhile UPA – dispensation as a regime that believed in ‘doles’ and ‘deals’ whereas his government believes in ‘empowerment’ and ‘fair deal’. Elaborating on the charge, he opined that under Congress – led/supported governments in the past, even as little was done to empower the poor and augment their incomes, there was proliferation of doles – an acronym for subsidy or any other form of state support – financial or non-financial. A major slice of these doles never reached the intended beneficiaries [as the then, prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi opined ‘of the Rupee 1 that leaves Delhi, 85 paise disappears on the way’]. Moreover, the...
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Factory of allegations – can it unseat Modi?
As the five year term of the present NDA – government is nearing end, there has not been a single case of corruption. This is in sharp contrast to the erstwhile UPA – dispensation which was marked by a tsunami of scams entailing monumental loss to the exchequer. Yet, for almost an year now, the air reverberates with a jibe ‘chowkidar chor hai’ – a euphemism to describe the security guard as thief. Herein, the guard is identified with Modi who in his very first speech on the Independence Day August 15, 2014 had vowed to protect the national resources from loot and use these for development and welfare of the majority of the poor and common man. The jibe...
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Stopping pilferage, enhancing welfare, boosting growth
Addressing NRIs and Indian-origin people at the inauguration of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on January 22, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to former premier Rajiv Gandhi’s remarks on corruption in the country saying Congress that ruled for years did nothing to stop the “loot”, while his Government put an end to it and transferred about Rs 5,80,000 crore directly to the people under various schemes. Modi recalled what Rajiv Gandhi had stated “of the funds Central Government sends, only 15 per cent of that reaches the people. If one rupee is sent from Delhi, only 15 paise reaches the villages, 85 paise disappear. Even as the country’s middle...
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Black money – the myth around ‘fifteen lakh’
Ever since Modi took charge in May 2014, the opposition parties have been incessantly lambasting him for failing to redeem his promise [as they perceive it] of bringing the black money held by Indians in tax haven jurisdictions abroad and depositing Rs 15 lakh in the account of each citizen. Now, with general elections a few months away, the intensity of their missives has increased manifold. The idea of every Indian getting Rs 15 lakh [for an overwhelming majority this is a mammoth amount] sounds like day dreaming. It is monumental absurdity. With so much money in his/her account, interest income @ 8% on this will be Rs 10,000/- per month. With a regular source of income assured [albeit without...
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Lies – newly found enemy of development
Even as the Congress camp is filled with jubilation over the defeat of BJP in the three heartland states viz. Madhya Pradesh [MP], Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, there is a pall of gloom among all the right thinking citizens of India. They are visibly upset over the consequences of the reins of powers in these three important states going into the hands of those who plundered the scarce national resources – epitomized by a spate of scams during 2004-2014 [when UPA led by Congress was in command at the national level] – and pushed the country into a state of ‘policy paralysis’ and shattered the economy. That it would mend ways and deliver good governance in these states is wishful thinking....
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Demonetization – the poor backs Modi
On the second anniversary of demonetization [on November 8, 2016, the prime minister, Modi had declared the old 1000/500 rupee notes invalid], the opposition parties led by grand old Congress continue to demonize this far reaching policy reform alleging that it has led to precipitous decline in economic growth, caused unprecedented miseries to the poor even as the rich continue to add to their wealth and have even got away scot free converting their black money/unaccounted cash into white. There was some short-term disruptive effective [Modi himself had anticipated at the time of announcement and even requested the citizens to bear this pain for the sake of long-term gains] which was manifest in decline in GDP [gross domestic product] during...
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Aadhaar survives court scrutiny
Ever since, prime minister, N Modi – a crusader against corruption, nepotism and black money – took charge in 2014, those who had been in this game for decades having defrauded the country by gargantuan sums have unleashed an orchestrated plan to frustrate his attempts to cleanse the system. An important component of this plan was to kill Aadhaar card which Modi has been using to give subsidy on food, fertilizers and LPG, pay wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act [MGNREGA], release pension and scholarship, file income tax returns and a host of other areas where there is evidence of misuse and misappropriation of funds. First, a few words on how this foundation document [as Modi would...
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