This is with reference to Sukumar Mukhopadhyay's letter, "Jaitley not to blame" (May 16), in response to T N Ninan's article, "Mr Modi's ministers" (May 14). It seems Mukhopadhyay is in a haste to support the policies of the National Democratic Alliance government.
While non-performing assets of banks are indeed the legacy of the earlier United Progressive Alliance government, factors such as taxation are well within the ambit of the present government.
Similarly, it is not the Reserve Bank of India policy that alone dictates interest rate. For example, reduction of interest rate in savings is hurting the common man, leading to a cut in purchasing power and weak demand in the market. Inflation is high and indirect taxes are increasingly burdening the common man.
Now, the Goods and Services Tax Bill, which seeks to ensure reasonable taxation for the common man, must be the highest priority of the government.
Partha Sarathi Mukhopadhyay, Nagpur
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