Oppn slams govt on economic situation

Opposition today came down heavily on the government in the Lok Sabha on the economic situation of the country, saying "fundamentals are becoming weak" due to arbitrary cuts in allocations for social sector ministries.
Initiating debate on supplementary demands for grants, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said steps taken by the government which came to power six months ago proves that it was pro-rich and anti-poor.
Moily said front page stories in every newspaper may be in favour of the government, but all write ups in the inside pages on economic issues "are against you".
"Where is the acche din?," the former Union minister asked referring to promises made by the ruling BJP during election campaign and problems in the steps taken by the government to fulfill them.

"You have been in power than six months...It (acche din) is not seen in the horizon," he said.
Accusing the government of being insensitive towards the problems of various sections including farmers and manufacturing sectors, Moily said government should agree that job creation has been reduced totally.

"Fundamentals are becoming weak. You must agree. It will take some years to restore the confidence," he said, attacking the government's move to cut spending in the social sector ministries including HRD, Rural Development, Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Moily told Arun Jaitley, who placed the supplementary demands for approval, that the Finance Minister should not have been made the Information and Broadcasting Minister although it is a "colourful job".

He said Finance Ministry requires total focus and "being a good Finance Minister", Jaitley can not handle both the ministries. The Congress leader also attacked the government's policies on banking and oil sector and said the move to restructure Planning Commission will destroy economy.
"Expectations from you are very high. But six months' performance of the government was dismal," Moily said.