CONGRESS "PAANCH NYAY" IS NOT EVEN A SHADOW OF MODI'S "GYAN (GARIB, YUVA, ANNADATTA, NARI) SHAKTI"

Brigadier (Dr.) Rajeev Bhutani (Retd.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the national goal of making Viksit BHARAT (Developed India) during the period of AMRIT KAAL (2022-2047). Presently, the target is laid down to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047. Modi’s vision is to ensure that per capita income should increase from the current US$2400 to US$18,000 in 2047. When PM Modi says that 140 crore people of Bharat are his family and truly so, he wants to ensure that every member of his family should get the fruits of development when the country becomes developed. That means, a person who is getting Rs 16700/- (at current USD conversion rate) per month now, would get Rs 125,400/-? per month in 2047, an increase of seven and a half times. This analogy is simply by taking per capita GDP in to account. However, this sort of equitable distribution of national wealth may not be possible on ground, that too in a democracy where everyone earns according to his/her qualification/talent/skill. Therefore, Modi’s endeavor is that every citizen should participate in the whole process of development so that they reap the benefits accordingly.

At the time of elections, political parties start throwing baits for gullible people in the form of freebies in their manifestos. It is necessary for a common man to understand that for short-term and immediate monetary gains, he should not sacrifice the bright future, waiting for him and for his future generations in “Viksit Bharat”.? Prime Minister Modi advocates the principle of ‘Work is Worship’ and has given wings to the aspirations of the youth and Nari Shakti of India for becoming wealth creators while the Opposition satraps want to make people dependent on their doles. Past history is replete with examples, whenever and wherever, the Congress or its allies have been able to form the government in the states, in the pretext of fulfilling their pre-election promises, they emptied the state treasuries in no time, leaving no funds for the development/ or even for running the government and then started blaming the center for not releasing their dues or they borrowed heavily.? At the center, in 1991, Congress government (with Dr. Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister) needed an IMF bailout of USD2.2 billion, while in September 2013, UPA government with? Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister required 12 times more, i.e., USD 26.6 billion to finance the imports but this time RBI raised the amount from NRIs at a very high interest rates. Therefore, every citizen of the country should know the implications of freebies being offered to them by the parties and these leaders are not bartering the economic freedom and sovereignty of the country in exchange of capturing power. Example of Sri Lankan government going bankrupt in 2022 is the latest example.

Congress Manifesto for 2024 Lok Sabha polls contains five promises (so called Five Nyay pillars) under which, it carries 25 guarantees. These are apparently outdated and not in sync with the ongoing nation-building efforts undertaken by PM Modi: -

• Nari Nyay vs. Nari Shakti.? PM Modi has aimed to energize economic empowerment and financial independence among women under which, a woman as member of a Self-Help Group? (SHG) earns Rupees One Lakh (?1,00,000) or more. For instance, Drone didis are imparted skill training for operating drones, in which they are imparted drone training for 15 days thereafter they are being given free drones and Rs 15, 000/- per month (ie., 1,86,000/-). There are number of schemes under this head. At present there are 83 SHGs in the country, joined by nine crore women. In the interim budget (2024), the government has aimed to create three crore (as against the earlier announced 2 crore) Lakhpati Didi’s in villages across India. One crore women have already benefited from this scheme. Whereas, Congress in its manifesto, has promised the "Mahalakshmi" guarantee of Rs 1 lakh a year for one woman in every poor family. Which is better -? to learn new skills, earn with dignity (that also a greater amount) and seek a better future by becoming part of Viksit Bharat or waiting for a party to fulfil its promise, if they are able to form a government and that too depend on their mercy to decide your eligibility for recipient as poor. Once elected to power, they will invariably decide that minority community is more deserving than others. For example, immediately after forming the government in Karnataka, in September 2023, Congress announced to offer Rs 3 lakh subsidy to a religious minority community members on vehicle purchases - four wheelers of their choice.
• Yuva Nyay vs. Yuva Shakti. Congress Manifesto under Yuva Nyay gives Guarantee for - permanent appointment to 30 lakh government posts;? Annual job package of 1 lakh for diploma holders up to the age of 25 years and start-up funds for young entrepreneur at district level from the national fund of ?5,000 crore.? The government has over 40 lakh sanctioned posts, with more than 30 lakh employees and over 9.64 lakh posts currently vacant (as on 08 August 2023). The Modi government is working for filling these vacancies in mission mode, conducting Rozgar Melas across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, himself distributed over 2 lakh 22 thousand appointment letters to recruits in government departments through video conferencing between January 2023 and February 2024. Modi Government has given 1.5 times more jobs in 10 years than the UPA government in the same duration, that too when two years were affected by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Further, around 4,50,000 jobs have been created under Productivity Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the Private sector and it will provide ample opportunities to the youth for getting highly paid jobs in the Manufacturing Sector, according to the talent/skill acquired by them. In Telangana, Congress promised 2 lakh jobs but found only 25,000 to 30,000 vacancies in various departments. Even by taking into account retired employees in the next few years, it will add another 20,000 jobs in the coming 3-4 years. If Congress cannot fulfil its promise in a small state like Telangana then from where they will create 30 lakh government appointments, when the vacancies were only 9.64 lakhs and these are being filled up with speed by Modi government? that is beyond their imagination. Further, under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 1.0 to 3.0, more than 1 crore 37 lakh candidates have been imparted skill training, out of which, more than 24 lakh 51 thousand have been placed and they are getting amount ranging from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 15000/- per month. And Congress is offering them a much lesser package of Rs. 1 lakh annually without talking about what sort of skill training they would be imparted. While, under PMKVY 4.0, the scheme will also cover new age courses for Industry 4.0. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India is emerging as the third-largest ecosystem for startups globally, with over 1.25 lakh Start-ups, out of which 110 are Unicorns (achieved a valuation equal to or over $1 Billion).
• Shramik Nyay vs. Enhance the Manpower’s Potential under ‘Skill India’.? The Congress promised to make the national minimum wage ?400 per day, including that of MGNREGS workers. The Center had already notified a hike in wage rates under the rural job guarantee program for the 2023-24 financial year with Haryana having the highest daily wage at ?357 per day. Further, the Modi Government treats setting the minimum wage level as a continuous process, which it has been doing through expert committees. The Center enacted the ‘Code on Wages, 2019’ bill and its rules (2021) are applicable to all businesses and international companies operating in India. The wages are different for different states, for example, the minimum wage for unskilled labour in Punjab is Rs.398.22 monthly but at the same time, in Karnataka, it is Rs. 484.11 monthly and these are for eight hours in a day and forty-eight hours in a week. Overtime wages are at least twice the regular rate of normal wages. The difference in wages is due to criteria like differences in the cost of living and economic development in the region, industry, skills and nature of work, etc. These are international? norms and are applicable in advanced countries like the United States also. Minimum wages are being revised every five years and are again due for revision in 2024, which will be done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Industrialization is progressing at a rapid speed due to Prime Minister Modi’s efforts and Indian youth will be getting much higher wages than Congress can ever dream of, and for that reason their potential is being enhanced under ‘Skill India’. NREGS will lose its relevance gradually.
• Kisaan Nyay vs. Modi’s Annadata. Congress Manifesto - MSP will be set in accordance with Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Commission formula and given a legal status; no GST on agricultural material; import-export policy for agricultural commodities; The PM Fasal Bima Yojana will be redesigned to guarantee payment to farmers; A Standing Farm Loan Waiver Commission will be set up to waive loans of farmers. The Swaminathan Committee's National Commission on Farmers had submitted multiple reports to the UPA government between 2004-2006 but government did not accept the recommendation citing 'counter-productivity'. According to experts’ analysis, Modi government has already been paying for most rabi crops such as wheat, masoor, rapeseed and mustard that is actually more than 50 percent higher than the comprehensive cost of their production in states that produce the largest quantities of these crops. While the Modi government wants to benefit the annadata (farmers) without upsetting the overall economy of the country, Congress is indulging in making tall promises to garner votes of the farmers without bothering about the overall national interest and that too when they had rejected the same while in power. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Modi to provide a comprehensive risk solution at the lowest uniform premium. Since its implementation in 2016, around 38 crore farmer applicants were enrolled and over 12.37 crore (provisional) had received claims of over Rs 1,30,015 crore (provisional) against Rs 25,252 crore paid by them as their share of premium. Thus, for every 100 rupees of premium paid by farmers, they received about Rs 514 as claims. Seeds and fertilizers are a major input for agriculturist and farmers and both are exempt from GST. Further, small scale agriculture and most of the basic produce sold in fresh form does not attract any GST. 12 percent? GST rate is applicable only on items like water pump and self-unloading trailers, etc. There is a well-established import-export system for agricultural commodities. Thus Congress manifesto carries vague and generalised guarantees unsupported by facts on ground.
• Hissedari Nyay (Justice for equity) vs. Modi’s Garib Kalyan. Congress Manifesto - Social, economic and caste census; removal of 50 percent? cap on reservation of SC/ST/OBC? through constitutional Amendment. Congress is indulging in dividing the country into castes, what they have been following since independence, whereas Modi government is aiming for public elimination of poverty, 100 percent literacy and erase all gap between rural and urban income. Universal access to resources would be a major component for equitable development of the country in the Amrit Kaal.

300 Units of Free Electricity vs. Modi’s Energy Independence. Providing 300 units of Free electricity was started by Arvind Kejriwal to win Delhi elections and considering it as a winning formula, it was repeated by him for Punjab elections. Emulating Kejriwal, Congress Party also promised 200 units of free electricity before Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Karnataka assembly elections. But the electricity prices were immediately hiked in Punjab, HP and Karnataka by the states governments, finding it economically impractical. On the other hand, on 13th February,? Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has launched PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of Rs.75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for one crore households. Prime Minister Modi has a very broad vision - he not only looks after the upliftment and wellbeing of the citizens in a systematic manner but at the same time ensures that the development of nation does not cause environmental degradation, true to his principle of? “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. While Opposition wants to capture power at any cost.

The main difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of I.N.D.I. Alliance is related to the Vision for the country. PM Narendra Modi has a grand vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and within that to fulfill the future aspirations of all citizens, whereas the I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders have no concern for the future development of the country. Firstly, they want to undo all the reforms undertaken by Modi government and secondly to squander the accumulated national wealth in the pretext of looking after the needy, then borrow heavily and put the country in debt again, as it was done in their earlier tenures. Further, they intend to kill aspirations of citizens for their future. For example, Congress leader dresses up in different rigs -? sometimes moving in paddy fields with jeans & sneakers making a mockery of farmers; mingling with coolies outside Delhi railway station by carrying a wheeler suitcase on his head and so on. Does he want to convey that a coolie should have his children also to continue in the same profession? Another leader gave a slogan ‘One Nation, One Pay’! The people in social media ridiculed him by saying that an engineer and a labor will get the same pay if they are able to form the government. Another stalwart from Southern India will do away with Article 356, CAA-2019 and all laws considered people-unfriendly by them. He intends to replace NITI Aayog by re-establishing erstwhile Planning Commission. He wants GST collection to be managed fully by state governments and only surplus amount after state’s share to be provided to the Central government. That too when GST has been considered as the greatest economic reform introduced by Modi government and with an annualized growth of approximately 12 percent, GST collection in the current FY is expected to cross Rs 20 lakh crore mark. Congress and its allies are living in their own Make Believe world and for them time has stood still when they were last in power. The country has progressed by leaps and bounds? under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is apparent that they are jealous of Narendra Modi and in their utter frustration, they are ready to bring chaos into governance and impede the development of the country.