"Centre's policies enslaving country's economy"

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, DEC. 31. Mr. R.Venugopal, Working President of the All- India Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha (BMS), has expressed concern at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government pursuing the liberalisation policies of the earlier governments, and accused it of "enslaving the country's economy." However, he said the people should save the country by backing the Vajpayee Government.

Addressing a press conference on his first visit to Bellary today, Mr. Venugopal said the policies pursued by the Vajpayee Government were not its own. The BJP's original agenda, as announced in its manifesto, was different from what was being pursued. According to him, the Vajpayee Government was being compelled to pursue the new economic policies as part of implementing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement.

He said the people were feeling the pinch even before the WTO came into force. Citing the example of the fall in prices of agricultural produce, disinvestment, free import, and the threat of closure faced by small-scale industries, he said the conditions would go from bad to worse if steps were not taken immediately to set things right.

He took exception to the disinvestment decision with regard to some profit-making public sector undertakings and asked how could the people tolerate a Government which did not have the courage to oppose the WTO that severely affected the country's economy.

The Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, at a meeting sometime ago had expressed his helplessness to improve conditions stating that the country had no option but to implement the WTO agreement, which was signed by the earlier Government.

However, Mr. Sinha had also said that the present Government was doing its best to overcome the problems being faced by the country. Ultimately, it was the duty of the people to save the country by making the Centre strong enough to disregard the WTO provisions. "The Government should be bold and not accept conditions that affect the economy of the country."

While calling Mr. Vajpayee an able Prime Minister whose hands were tied which prevented him from taking firm steps, he alleged that it was the corrupt bureaucracy that had led the country to such a sorry state.

To a question, Mr. Venugopal said the second series of meetings on the WTO agreement would be held in 2001 and the country should take a firm stand on issues without succumbing to pressure. "India should not hesitate to oppose any condition that is detrimental to the country's economy. When several member- countries have already started opposing the WTO agreement and nothing has happened to them, why our country should not do that," he asked.

Mr. Venugopal said the BMS was planning to stage a massive demonstration in Delhi in the second week of April to oppose the economic policies pursued by the Vajpayee Government. "As many as 50,000 people will gather on April 16 in Delhi, gherao the Parliament House to awaken the Government on the ill-effects of implementing the WTO agreement, and to send the message to foreign countries that India will not be an easy target."

When asked whether all the trade union organisations, which were opposed to implementing WTO agreement, would join hands on the issue, Mr. Venugopal said it would be difficult as some leftist unions were controlled by political parties while the BMS was not. "I am confident that only the BMS can do it," he added.

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Section  : Southern States
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