Govt's efforts on economic front visible: Irani

Union minister Smriti Irani said on Friday that the Union government's efforts on economic front are visible and asserted that it meets various stake-holders every day to try to find solutions to emerging challenges.

Speaking at a "fireside chat" event organised by FICCI Young Leaders Forum, the Textile Minister, who also holds the portfolio of woman and child development, reeled out a number of figures to stress that the government has been providing a lot of employment opportunities.

"Let us do a math. We are very close to building two crore homes which employed 8 people for 45 man-days. Multiply 2 crore to 8 and 45. We also built 10 crore toilets that required 8 days for each of them and 2-3 people were paid for it. Again do the math. In textile industry, we have Rs 6,000 crore in terms of package and for every crore invested 70 people get a job directly," she said.

Irani was asked as to how the government plans to provide opportunities to entrepreneurs in this "sluggish" economy.

In the last 100 days, Rs 8900 crore has gone directly into the bank accounts of farmers across the country, she said.

She said the government does not "belie" the challenges do come but added that challenges are there across the world and referred to the US-China trade war.

The Indian cotton yarn was being exported to China but it suffered a huge dent due to the US-China trade war, she said.

Irani said when global challenges emerge, then the government does protect its local industries. For instance, she said there were 507 items in textile sector where the local domestic producer was getting "shortchanged" because the import duty was less so the government increased the import duty by 10 per cent.

"You cannot tell me we are not making efforts because the efforts are visible and they are being made across a lot of industry segment. Every day when you are faced with a challenge, you are not in a government that gives a five year plan (but) you are in a government that meets the industry everyday and tries to find solution every day," she said.