How did the UPA spend our money?
A report card on the track record of the UPA Government; checking its promises againsts its actions on the economic front. Pragoti presents this in partnership with the CBGA.
The UPA Government presented the vote on account on 16 February, 2009, being the last of its major policy announcements relating to economic policies. It should be remembered that the UPA was a post-election political alliance which was built on the rubble of the NDA's defeat. That defeat was itself a result of the crass neoliberalism, subservience to imperialism and upper-caste, Hindu majoritarianism which were the hallmark of that regime. The people of India had voted out the NDA despite the shrill support it received from the mainstream media, the urban rich and the big bourgeoisie.
The UPA came together on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme, which itself was a recognition of the fact that the people of India wanted a drastic change in Government policies. The Common Minimum Programme promised to focus on the needs and demands of the poor and the marginalised and to make growth inclusive. It was not a radical programme, but rather, what the poster boy of neoliberalism in India - Manmohan Singh - had termed, reforms with a human face. This modest programme was a recognition that the pressing needs of the people cannot be ignored anymore.
So what is the report card? Has the UPA Government lived up to the promises it had made in its own Common Minimum Programme? What has it achieved and where and how has it missed its own targets?
The Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability has brought out detailed reports on the previous Budget's presented by the UPA by checking the actual allocations and spendings against the promises of the Common Minimum Programme. On the occasion of the vote-on-account, the CBGA presents a review of UPA's track record for its entire five year term.
Pragoti presents to its readers the report "How did the UPA spend our money?" prepared by the CBGA. Please read and circulate it widely.
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| How Did the UPA Spend Our Money.pdf | 1.04 MB |
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Comments
To Prakash Karat, from a Leftist
Why can't CPM concentrate in building the party in North India? The socio economic condition in UP, Bihar etc is ideal for a Communist party. After 60 years of independence, CPI/CPM forts which were there, like Kanpur, got washed away. Why don't CPM take up some issues concerning the poor in UP? Many places the people are not even aware of Left parties(only older generation is aware of). There is ample chance for CPM in all these areas, because look at the way Maoists have grown in these areas. Maoists are speaking for the poor, so they aligned behind them. Prakash Karat is a good person. He should interact more and more with the poor people across the North India.
Another thing. Policies, and stands of the Left should reach the people. For that there should be a concerted effort from the left parties. They have to use which ever platform available to pass on the message. The whole of internet, which is the new age media, is now literally under right wing control. Select some 50 party cadres who are efficient in using English to proactively enter into dialogues in discussion forums. Create more left oriented blogs. Why that is not being done? Are you short of 50 people? Please don't lose the war before it is started. A strong left is what the country needs.
For that CPM should go back to the basics. In Kerala what is CPM doing? Is there any more of CPM leaders left who are true with their ideology and principles. Communists are known for their principles and had an upcorrupt image. Does that holds good any more? Karat is uncorrupt, so Karat should not stand by any corrupt politicians. Shiv Sena has some branches in Kerala, they are running ambulances for free, they are running orphanages. RSS is running schools to get enough fresh talent. What is CPM doing? Water theme park, five star hotel? How is it going to help in building a party? What image does this give to the poor people? Have sense, people are sharp. It will come in the LokSabha Elections. The results will awake Karat from his deep slumber.
In the comment above there is
In the comment above there is a reference to water theme park that has been launched under the initiative of the party and to the proposal to construct a hotel by a cooperative directed by party.
The water theme park,though it may invite criticism from many,was constructed primarily to employ as many people as the party could.
Given the extremely hostile conditions on both economic and political fronts in the neo-liberal era,the viability of running/starting an enterprise which doesn't have the competitive advantage to survive is debatable.Even the state Govt is finding it difficult to mobilize resources under the predatory policies pursued by the center.There is a ceiling on the domestic borrowing that a state Govt can go for.Kerala is targeted in particular for political reasons.The center which has got no qualms over the money laundering carried out by international mafia gangs through P-Notes,find the meager gulf malayalee investment "threat" through KSFE schemes(Pravasi Bandhu chit fund,which allows the relatives to deposit remittances, was devised to overcome this) too alarming to be blocked at any cost!The lending ratio of all public sector banks in Kerala had been discriminatory and the party had carried out a string of agitations against this.
When the state Govt led by LDF itself is faced so many constraints and political hostilities ,it is not difficult to see the issues that the party may face on this front.Dinesh Beedi itself was the product of a political struggle led by the party against targeted attacks on trade union movement,when E.M.S Govt assumed power in 1967,the vengeful Beedi factory owners who had always been wary of the Communist influence in Kannur district and its solid TU fronts,decided to shift their base to Mangalapuram.Had it not been for the determined course of action pursued by the party under the leadership of E.M.S and A.K.G,many thousands of workers would have been left to their own.A.K.G,courageously took up the challenge and lead the establishment of Dinesh Beedi as a cooperative,which has paved the way for the cooperative movement of the state.Today the cooperative movement had grown many fold,and in Kannur there are numerous ventures like Rubco and the A.K.G Memorial hospital.It is not difficult to see that under the present conditions they are real people's alternatives in the economic front.
As of now Dinesh Beedi is on the verge of a grave crisis.There is a decline in the export demand and domestic consumption of beedi after successive court verdicts banning/discouraging smoking.Dinesh Beedi gives direct employment to many thousands and indirect employment to many more.Any crisis that Dinesh Beedi faces would have an impact on its workers who had a long history of waging a heroic struggle against the fascists in the Kannur district.There had been certain untoward developments like the unrest among workers related to wage issues,bonus etc in the past few years and the party was faced with a challenge of finding alternative options.
The LDF Govt in Kerala has announced soft loans for Dinesh Beedi but given the fact that LDF never came to power in a succession in Kerala,the continuity of such plans are at stake.UDF criminals don't hesitate to ruin even Govt institutes from which the people would benefit,in the strongholds of the party.The criminal laxity shown towards Malabar Cancer Centre very much underlines the nefarious intentions of the right wing in Kerala.It would be too foolish to expect a helping hand from a Govt lead by the right wing forces for a cooperative venture like Dinesh Beedi on the eve of a crisis.Under these circumstances I find the blind folded criticism on this without even trying to analyze the facts either too naive or malicious.If Dinesh Beedi and Rubco can run as cooperatives for decades,the water theme park can certainly follow the suit.Interestingly the people of the area had supported this initiative and thwarted the ultra-Left &Right and environmentalist attempts to carry out a march to there(citing ground water exploitation as a pretext,they realized very late that the water used for this project fully comes from rain water harvested reservoirs).
Criticisms/analysis should be there about all these,but if the context is not looked into,they won't be relevant.