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Karat raps UPA's economic policy

'There's a disconnect between Cong's plenary resolution and govt's actions'

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Our Political Bureau New Delhi
Last Updated : Feb 25 2013 | 11:50 PM IST
Initially confused by the "Leftist tone and tenor" of the economic resolution at the AICC plenary session last month, the CPI(M) has come down heavily on the Congress, saying there is a "disconnect" between what the Congress says and what the government does.
 
In an article in the latest issue of the CPI(M) mouthpiece, People's Democracy, party General Secretary Prakash Karat said, "On a number of issues which are mentioned in the resolution itself, the Manmohan Singh government has adopted policies which are contrary to this pronouncement."
 
The Congress resolution had earlier thrown the CPI(M) thinktank into a huddle because, as a senior Left leader told the Business Standard, it smacked of a strategy to usurp the "Left voice and its political space by talking Left but doing Right".
 
In her opening address, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had claimed credit for changing the manner in which economic reforms were perceived. Terming her intention as "laudable", Karat said the government had failed to translate it into action and expressed surprise that the resolution did not talk about FDI in the retail sector.
 
"The resolution expressed shock that only 80,000 Indians reported an annual taxable income of more than Rs 10 lakh last year. But the UPA government has continued its policy of pampering the rich and not taking punitive measures against the big tax evaders," the CPI(M) general secretary said in the article.
 
On mineral resources, the Congress resolution said India should export value-added products and discourage export of natural resources except in extraordinary and well-defined circumstances.
 
"Yet, the government is encouraging export of a whole range of mineral resources without any value addition. The resolution talks about encouraging small-scale, cottage and village industries but the government's policies on dereservation and the drying up of credit to this sector is causing serious difficulties," said Karat
 
"While the AICC affirms that Navaratna PSUs should not be privatised, the government is right now dismantling the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is a profit-making institution, by privatising the lucrative Delhi and Mumbai airports and disallowing the AAI from modernising these," he said.
 
Taking cue from Sonia statement that there should be no "excessive preoccupation with FDI and privatisation", Karat said the Congress should direct the government to give due emphasis on employment, education, agriculture and health.
 
Meanwhile, with Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar questioning the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Left parties went on an offensive today, questioning the UPA government's emphasis on nuclear energy.
 
"Nuclear energy is not the solution... we have enough resources for hydel and thermal power. There are so much of coal reserves. Himalayan rivers have not been tapped. Besides, what do you do with used nuclear fuel?" CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan said. The Left parties had been maintaining that the government was compromising national interest to get nuclear energy.
 
Kakodkar had a few days ago said that the US request to India to put specific nuclear facilities on the civilian programme amounted to "shifting the goalpost".
 
Reacting to Kakodkar's remarks, Bardhan and CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said this vindicated their stand that the government should make public the details of the Indo-US talks on the nuclear deal.

 
 

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First Published: Feb 08 2006 | 12:00 AM IST

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