Congress uses Economic Survey 'stick' to attack government

While maintaining President Pranab Mukherjee's address was not his personal one but prepared by the government, the Congress on Tuesday hit out at the Narendra Modi government, saying it has failed on all fronts.

Be it job generation, national security, demonetisation or addressing farmers' issue, the incumbent government has failed in all spheres, it said and also cited the Economic Survey, which projected a GDP growth of 6.5 per cent going down from 7.6 per cent.

"The President's address is not his personal speech but prepared by the government. In his speech, the government spoke about 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. It was just to garner votes. They turned it around to 'RSS ka Saath and BJP ka Vikas'," said Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Citing the Economic Survey, Azad said the industrial growth rate has gone down from 7.4 per cent in 2015-16 to 5.2 per cent in 2016-17 and the GDP growth is being projected at 6.5 per cent in the current fiscal. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already projected it at 6.6 per cent.

"The Economic Survey says that the indirect taxes have increased by 34.8 per cent with excise duties growing by about 68 per cent and direct taxes by 10 per cent. But our assessment is increasing indirect taxes was because of hike in petroleum duty," he added.

Azad also said the number of railway accidents have increased manifold in the past two years.

"It was told in the President's address that for modernisation of railway, the highest ever capital outlay of Rs 1.21 lakh crore has been provided but in the last one year, the number of railway accidents that have taken place and the number of passengers who died were much higher than previous years," Azad said.

"In the President's speech, he talked about increase in ceasefire violation but no solution was given. In the last two years, the number of soldiers killed due to ceasefire violations has surpassed even the numbers in last 10 years," he added.

--IANS

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