Modi says govt focus is on 'maximum job creation', attacks Opposition

The government’s focus is to create jobs through reforms that strengthen the economy, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in a Parliament speech accusing his political rivals of years of indecision when they governed India.

"We have maintained the fiscal deficit; the macro economy is stable too. FDI and revenue collection under GST have been on the rise. Our vision is greater investment, better infrastructure, increased value addition and maximum job creation," he said in his reply to the President’s speech to Parliament last week.

"President highlighted vision for New India, his address comes at a time when we enter the third decade of the century. The NDA government's aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions," said Modi in Lok Sabha.

"Agricultural budget, which was earlier Rs 27,000 crore has now been increased by five times to about Rs 1.5 trillion. Driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from PM-Kisan Scheme. I appeal to them, please let there be no politics in farmer welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India," he said about his government’s signature farm scheme.

He accused the Congress party of delaying the development of the country for 70 years. "Had we continued with thinking of Opposition, Ram Janmabhoomi would continue to be a disputed issue. Had we continued with the same path of yours, Article 370 would not have been abrogated, triple talaq would not have ended. Had we continued with the Congress' path, we would have continued to wait for next-generation fighter planes and creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)," Modi said.

Modi’s government last week presented its annual budget that proposed tax cuts for individuals and wider deficit targets, but analysts said it failed to provide specific steps to fix a struggling financial sector, improve infrastructure and create jobs.