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The debate on the no-confidence motion, moved by the INDIA bloc against the Centre, is in its last leg today, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday spoke on India’s growing economy.
“In 2013, Morgan Stanley had included India in the list of five fragile economies of the world. India was declared a fragile economy. Today, the same Morgan Stanley upgraded India and gave it a higher rating. In just nine years, the economy rose and saw economic development due to the policies of our government – despite Covid-19. Today, we are the fastest-growing economy of the world,” she said.
“UPA wasted an entire decade because there was a lot of corruption and cronyism. Today, every crisis and adversity has been changed into a reform and an opportunity,” she said.
She added, “Transformation comes through actual delivery, and not through spoken words. You [UPA] show dreams to people. We make their dreams a reality. We believe in empowering all and appeasement of none.”
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Commenting on the banking sector’s situation, the Finance Minister stated that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took measures to improve the banking sector during its tenure.
“Our Direct Benefit Transfer [DBT] story sets an example for the rest of the world. I recognise the operationalisation of DBT by UPA but only Rs 7,367 crores were transferred in 2013-14. From that amount, DBT transfers have increased five times by 2014-15 itself. In the last financial year, Rs 7.16 trillion have been transferred through DBT,” she added.
Speaking on the soaring prices of tomatoes, Sitharaman said that hte government was procuring and distributing the kitchen staple through cooperative societies like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
She also said the government removed import restrictions and are bringing tomatoes from Nepal and that the first lot of tomatoes from Nepal are likely to reach Varanasi, Kanpur by Friday itself.
“As on date, NCCF has distributed 8,84,612 kilograms of tomatoes in Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh and this will continue in the coming days and this will also be increased. Already the prices of tomatoes in the wholesale mandis in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have started coming down below Rs 100 and we expect this to help us,” she said.
“As of today, we have booked tomatoes through Kolar mandi — coming to Delhi at Rs 85/kg…We have also initiated imports from Nepal by removing the import restrictions and the first lot of tomatoes from Nepal are likely to reach Varanasi, Kanpur by Friday itself,” she added.
Responding to DMK MP Kanimozhi who raised issue over the Tamil culture and imposition of Hindi, Sitharaman said that former Prime Minister used Sengol, which is now installed in new Parliament, as ‘walking stick’.
“When PM Modi restored it [Sengol] to its rightful place in Lok Sabha, that became an issue, that is an insult of the Tamils. The Sengol was ignored for decades. The Senglol was lost in history and kept in some museum. The Kashi Tamil Sangamam showed how Tamil Nadu and Kashi have very deep connections. The first time you heard Tamil being quoted in the United Nations. In ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM has used Tamil so many times,” she added.
While talking about crimes against women, Sitharaman said, “I agree that women suffering anywhere – Manipur, Delhi, Rajasthan – will have to be taken seriously. No politics played. But I want to remind this entire House of one incident which happened on March 25, 1989 in Tamil Nadu Assembly. CM Jayalalithaa’s saree was pulled in Tamil Nadu Assembly. She was the LoP. The DMK members who were seated there, heckled her and laughed at her…Has DMK forgotten Jayalalithaa? You pulled her saree, you demeaned her. That day Jayalalithaa took an oath that she will never come to the House unless she becomes the CM. Two years later, she returned as the CM of Tamil Nadu.”
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