ID :
77651
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 16:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/77651
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UPA II completes 100 days in office
New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) The United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government in India completed 100 days in
office in its second stint Saturday with a mixed bag of good
work on certain fronts while stumbling on the diplomatic front
with Pakistan as it grapples with a severe drought and its
effect on the price front.
While the Congress-led government could boast of
historic measures like passage of the bill to provide for free
education to children and for empowerment of women, the
spiralling prices, drought situation in parts of the country
and swine flu spoiled the party for the coalition.
The feel-good effect after it secured the mandate began
losing its sheen after the faux pas at Sharm-el-Sheikh when
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart
Yousuf Raza Ali Gilani came out with a joint statement
delinking terror from talks with Islamabad and inclusion of
Balochistan in the dialogue process.
The government came under intense attack from friends
and foes alike after which the Congress did a tightrope walk
for a long time before coming to the aid of the Prime
Minister.
UPA-II started on a bullish note after the elections
with Manmohan Singh becoming the only leader after Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru to occupy the high office for a second time
after a full term.
The 100-day programme of the government showed the
intensity of the Prime Minister who made it clear to his
Cabinet colleagues that 'business as usual will not do'.
No forward movement was possible on the long-pending
Women's Reservation Bill despite the government making its
intention clear to move ahead in the 100 days. But the
government did move ahead on the issue of providing 50 per
cent for women in Panchayats.
The proposed ambitious law for ensuring food security
to the poor also failed to take off.
The Union Budget for 2009-10 presented by Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to inject a massive booster
dose with doubling up of outlays for rural development at a
time of sluggish growth, which is expected to be six per cent
this year.
The government has also come out with a new Direct
Taxes Code which promises to simplify direct tax laws and
promises to put more money in the pocket of tax payer. It also
came out with a Trade Policy with an ambitious target of USD
200 billion exports for 2010-11.
A general feeling was that the internal security
scenario was satisfactory with Home Minister P Chidambaram in
command of the situation, a portfolio he was ushered into
after the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes last year.
The government asked various ministries to detail the
work done in the first 100 days so that it could come out with
a "Report to the People" soon.
The Law Ministry also came out with a 100-day plan but
had to beat a hasty retreat in the Rajya Sabha when it was
forced to withdraw an ill-drafted bill on declaration of
assets by higher judiciary. The issue, however, has been
resolved with the judges of the Supreme Court now now deciding
to go public with their assets.
On the telecommunications front, the government
resolved the long-pending issue of the 3G spectrum, paving the
way for moving to the next generation of mobile services.
An empowered Group of Ministers has fixed Rs 3,500
crore as reserve price for 3G spectrum to be given to a
maximum five players initially.
It has also announced a massive road development
programme with a target of constructing 20,000 km per day.
A novel initiative was the creation of a new body
headed by one of the Infosys founders Nandan Nilekeni to
provide every citizen a unique biometric identity card.
Health authorities have been kept on toes following
the outbreak of swine flu in parts of the country especially
in Maharashtra which created a panic among the people.
Price rise is a worry for the government and UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime
Minister on the need to control the price line.
Government hopes the retreating monsoon will come to
its aid without copious rainfall to make up for the loss in
the South West monsoon and that better harvest later in the
year would help on the price front. PTI SPG
DDC
Alliance (UPA) government in India completed 100 days in
office in its second stint Saturday with a mixed bag of good
work on certain fronts while stumbling on the diplomatic front
with Pakistan as it grapples with a severe drought and its
effect on the price front.
While the Congress-led government could boast of
historic measures like passage of the bill to provide for free
education to children and for empowerment of women, the
spiralling prices, drought situation in parts of the country
and swine flu spoiled the party for the coalition.
The feel-good effect after it secured the mandate began
losing its sheen after the faux pas at Sharm-el-Sheikh when
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart
Yousuf Raza Ali Gilani came out with a joint statement
delinking terror from talks with Islamabad and inclusion of
Balochistan in the dialogue process.
The government came under intense attack from friends
and foes alike after which the Congress did a tightrope walk
for a long time before coming to the aid of the Prime
Minister.
UPA-II started on a bullish note after the elections
with Manmohan Singh becoming the only leader after Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru to occupy the high office for a second time
after a full term.
The 100-day programme of the government showed the
intensity of the Prime Minister who made it clear to his
Cabinet colleagues that 'business as usual will not do'.
No forward movement was possible on the long-pending
Women's Reservation Bill despite the government making its
intention clear to move ahead in the 100 days. But the
government did move ahead on the issue of providing 50 per
cent for women in Panchayats.
The proposed ambitious law for ensuring food security
to the poor also failed to take off.
The Union Budget for 2009-10 presented by Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to inject a massive booster
dose with doubling up of outlays for rural development at a
time of sluggish growth, which is expected to be six per cent
this year.
The government has also come out with a new Direct
Taxes Code which promises to simplify direct tax laws and
promises to put more money in the pocket of tax payer. It also
came out with a Trade Policy with an ambitious target of USD
200 billion exports for 2010-11.
A general feeling was that the internal security
scenario was satisfactory with Home Minister P Chidambaram in
command of the situation, a portfolio he was ushered into
after the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes last year.
The government asked various ministries to detail the
work done in the first 100 days so that it could come out with
a "Report to the People" soon.
The Law Ministry also came out with a 100-day plan but
had to beat a hasty retreat in the Rajya Sabha when it was
forced to withdraw an ill-drafted bill on declaration of
assets by higher judiciary. The issue, however, has been
resolved with the judges of the Supreme Court now now deciding
to go public with their assets.
On the telecommunications front, the government
resolved the long-pending issue of the 3G spectrum, paving the
way for moving to the next generation of mobile services.
An empowered Group of Ministers has fixed Rs 3,500
crore as reserve price for 3G spectrum to be given to a
maximum five players initially.
It has also announced a massive road development
programme with a target of constructing 20,000 km per day.
A novel initiative was the creation of a new body
headed by one of the Infosys founders Nandan Nilekeni to
provide every citizen a unique biometric identity card.
Health authorities have been kept on toes following
the outbreak of swine flu in parts of the country especially
in Maharashtra which created a panic among the people.
Price rise is a worry for the government and UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime
Minister on the need to control the price line.
Government hopes the retreating monsoon will come to
its aid without copious rainfall to make up for the loss in
the South West monsoon and that better harvest later in the
year would help on the price front. PTI SPG
DDC
