Today’s Part 4 of ‘Project Evade” by the FM was classic. It was salutary, because it required enormous amounts of guts and audacity to face the people of India on live TV and dish out such extraordinary nonsense, at a time when 100s of people are dying of hunger. 1/n […]
FM started by claiming that govt will link all industrial land banks with GIS tags! Wow. Then she said industrial parks will be ranked by 2020-21. Hello! Ranking of industrial parks was done in 2018 itself, isn’t it? (bit.ly/3g4utcC) Sorry, no questions asked. 2/n […]
Then came the announcements. She said commercial mining is being introduced outside the public sector. One wonders why it is said now. This was already passed as a law in the Parliament in March 2020 itself: the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill. See bit.ly/2X31w7X. 3/n
Then she said a seamless exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime is being introduced. Joint auction for multiple minerals being introduced. Again, this was something that was being implemented from at least 2015. See bit.ly/2Zb50s2 and bit.ly/2X32fGs 4/n
FM then moved to defense! To boost Make in India, govt will ban imports in a set of defense equipment. But, in the same breath, she said govt will raise FDI in defense from 49% to 74%. These, again, were being planned from at least 2016. See bit.ly/3dSn3as 5/n […]
In fact, Make in India in defense was a failure under the Modi govt. After 2014, only 128 contracts worth Rs 119,000 crore were signed with Indian vendors in defense. Delicensing of sub-sectors had begun years back, with no major success. See bit.ly/2WArf8Q. 6/n […]
FM then moved to aviation; govt will ensure optimum utilisation of air space. This is really old. One year back, we installed the Air Traffic Flow Management Command (C-ATFM) to make optimum use of airport, aircraft and airspace. See bit.ly/2AAdSNt. Now re-announced! 7/n
She then moved to the usual drill in power. DISCOMs in union territories will be privatised. Just that there was no novelty in it. Perhaps irked by the FM hogging the limelight, the Power minister had made the announcement two days back. See bit.ly/3bxzG9e. 8/n […]
Now, social infrastructure. One hoped for a hike in health spending. But no! Rs 8500 crore is given as viability gap funding for hospitals. 20% will be the new higher share of gap funding. But this was already stated in her Feb 2020 budget speech (bit.ly/3dS5QOs). 9/n
Then came space. Yes, space! Role of private sector in space technologies will be encouraged. They can use facilities in ISRO. Pray, what does this have to do with Covid package? To open quarantine centres in space? Or privatise ISRO? Must say, this took the cake today. 10/n
Finally, atomic energy! New research reactor in PPP mode to produce cancer isotopes. Also, PPP in radiation technology sector to increase shelf life of perishable crops. Well, ok...What is the big deal? This is DAE’s ongoing work for years: see bit.ly/2LxEAsf. 11/n
In sum, today’s announcements imply almost zero govt expenditure. They have nothing to do with either Covid or the poor. It was just a facile restatement of some fashionable ongoing stuff. Meanwhile, the migrants continue to die in India’s highways. Hunger is pervasive. 12/n
The FM may have some mercy on the suffering people of this country. Just sit at home and rest. Don’t do anything. Stop these deceitful press conferences, which serve no purpose other than mocking at the poor. Don’t rub salt into their wounds. 13/13 […]
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