An Hon. Member : Why did you forgot it?
Shri Yashwantrao Chavan : We did not forget it. We in Maharashtra passed this Act, but so far, this Government has not even had the courtesy of sanctioning it. They have not asked for money. Shri. Mavalankar was discussing the question about economic responsibilities and facilities for the States. It is a very very important question he was raising. I am coming to that point also. But here is something that was done. The State Government are providing it for their own purpose. But this Government has not even had the courtesy to sanction it. What is the reason? I do not think they have so far given any reason. I hope, I will get some answer to this from the Prime Minister, when he replies to the debate. I do not want him to say, ‘You are the only state doing it. Therefore, I cannot do it.’ Why cannot you do it? If some good work is done by a few States, at least let there be a good word of appreciation, and let not obstacles be put in the way of their functioning. This is one important point I wanted to make about this. This is about the economic problems. I do not want to go into it further.
Another point is concerning industrial policy. An impression is being given that every thing is all right with industrial production. Everything is not all right with industrial production in the country. The Economic Review gives a very disturbing picture. The 4.5 per cent growth that has been shown is because there has been a good monsoon this year, so far as the agricultural production is concerned. Because of the good agricultural performance, the general growth rate is somewhat statistically arranged. If you go into the individual industrial field, the Economic Review is full of facts. In vital sectors, the industrial economy is stagnant. But here you are trying to give the impression that everything is all right. Everything is not all right, either on the prices front or on the growth front. This is a matter I would like this Government to consider very carefully, if at all these policies are to be taken care of.
I would like to make a very important point here, not as a criticism of the Government. In any developing country, where economic issues dominate the political problems or as a matter of fact, political problems follow the economic situation - this is the situation even in developed countries, I would say in a developing country where we have to plan our economy properly, unless we evolve a viable wage, income and price policy, that Government has no chance of succeeding in the economic field. Let us take it for granted. Unless we have got a definite answer for this, no Government is likely to succeed, but there is no effort being made on the part of the Government. We want an assurance about it. In the budget speech, the only part which reads well is where they have given the five fundamental principles of taxation, which the Janata Government has accepted as a policy direction. That reads well. One of the principles is that the taxation policy must look to the distributive social justice, and when we come to the distributive social justice, what is the assurance in the budget speech or in the President’s Address? Nothing, excepting certain investments here and there and ultimately saying that there is going to be a deficit of more than Rs. 1,000 crores.
