Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Slamming the Narendra Modi-government’s fiscal policy, senior CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury Friday said growth in industry, agriculture and service sectors is declining in the country.
“The Modi government has been trumpeting ‘digital India’, ‘vibrant India’, ‘make in India’ slogans but the real picture is gradual deterioration in the field of industry, agriculture and service sectors,” Yechury told mediapersons here. Due to the faulty fiscal policies, the states are suffering and are begging before the Centre for Central assistance, he alleged.
“The NDA government first scrapped the Planning Commission and National Development Council (NDC) and constituted NITI Aayog. The chief ministers who used to be members of NDC had been representing their demands at the meeting. But, now the states are bound to beg before the Centre to get their demands conceded,” the CPM leader said.
As per the recommendations of 14th Finance Commission, the state governments are being given nominal amounts as Central aid. “Though the devolution pool has been increased, we have calculated, the states are losing funds. Modi government is a master manipulator in statistics,” he pointed out.
The Union government has been emphasing on additional revenue (indirect tax) generation, which it would not share with the states, Yechury said.
He urged the BJD government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to oppose Modi government’s policies for the betterment of people of Orissa.
Stating the Centre has adopted a flip-flop attitude in its relations with Pakistan, Yechury said, “Frequent cancellation and postponement of talks is a dangerous trend. You cannot hold talks or suspend talks because of Bihar polls or any other reason. Talks should never be allowed to get space for any third party,’’ he suggested. The venue of the talks between India and Pakistan is now being shifted to foreign countries. India has been saying that the issue between the two countries should be resolved bilaterally but fixing a venue for talks on foreign soil will give scope to a third party.
The Left parties would campaign at the district level from February 8 against the anti-people policies of Modi government and will hold a mass convention in Bhubaneswar March 12.
“After holding state level conventions, the protests will be taken to the national-level during the budget session of Parliament,” the CPM general secretary added.