Joshi Decries Move To Cut Subsidies

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has said that the governments efforts to cut subsidy will have a serious effect on the quality of life of the poor. The government should concentrate on other measures like recovering tax dues from the industry.

How can you either reduce or cap subsidies for the farm sector in the face of food shortages? It would also be unfair to reduce subsidy on milk supply in Delhi as milk is a major source of protein for the poor in a vegetarian society, he said.

He was reacting to an earlier statement by finance minister P Chidambaram that subsidies in milk supply in Delhi and the road transport sector were among the avoidable subsidies.

Joshi said that the solution to the problems of the road transport sector particularly state transport bus system was privatisation. Subsidies on the tiny, cottage and small scale industry sector should also be retained as they need official support in order to survive.

Besides, the government should focus on reducing pilferage and leakages committed by the industry ( as in the power sector) , take stern action to recover the huge amount of customs and excise duty dues from industry and covert the public sector into profit making enterprises by allowing the growth of a professional management system.