PM praised for gliding India through global crisis

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received praise from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and some other leaders for guiding India efficiently through the global economic crisis and ensuring high growth.

"When the world was facing economic crisis, even then India witnessed high growth rate under the UPA government. This happened because of capable leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," Gandhi in her address at AICC meet here.

The economic crisis hit the world following collapse of iconic American investment banker Lehman Brothers in September 2008 and as a result the developed world went into recession. Despite the crisis, India clocked 6.7 per cent growth rate in 2008-09.

Rahul Gandhi, who spoke briefly, too said that the growth rate, which Singh is trying to achieve, was necessary for taking India forward.

Singh had earlier said that India needed to quickly revert to 9 per cent economic expansion and aim at double-digit growth rate. Indian economy had been growing at 9 per cent before it was hit by the global economic crisis.

Sonia Gandhi opined that economic growth was necessary as it generated resources for funding ambitious poverty alleviation schemes.

"Without economic growth, it is not possible to fund Mahatma Gandhi NREGA and give loan waiver to farmers", she added.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also praised the "dynamic leadership" of Singh saying that efforts have been made to make the growth more inclusive.

Recalling the steps taken by the UPA government like right to information and right to work, Mukherjee said that shortly right to food would be made a legal right.