Economy in doldrums due to bad governance: Opposition

Describing the state of country’s economy as critical, the Opposition on Wednesday attacked the government saying it was due to lack of good governance and mismanagement.

Initiating a debate on the current economic situation in the country, Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP slammed the government over rising prices, including that of onions, saying the common man is suffering and “crony capitalism has come to rule”.

Attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he questioned why he failed to contain price rise despite being an “eminent economist”.

Noting that the economy of a country grows only when its management is in the hands of a person who is in authority, he said, “May be the Prime Minister is in office, but not in authority.”

Mr. Prasad said, “A good economy can never come unless there is good politics...the bridge between good economy and good politics is good governance...but good governance has become a casualty.”

He recalled that ever since UPA II government came to power in 2009, there have been repeated declarations of containing inflation in 100 days, but said the time gap was increased to 180 days and now no one even talks about it.

“Why the government is not able to stop the price rise... When there is abundance (of foodgrains), there is gross mismanagement of food economy”, he said, taking a dig at Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who has been claiming availability of sufficient foodgrains.

Latching on to the issue of rising onion prices, he said, “Onions are causing tears once again. Not the peels of onions, but the prices. It is being sold at Rs 75-80. In India we are today in a situation where the prices of onions, a necessity, petrol, a convenience, and beer, a luxury are same. That is exactly the state of economy.”

He charged the government with suffering from “policy paralysis” and said decisions not being taken even though there was a “Singh parivaar” working in the Finance Ministry for long. While economy is down in all aspects, only two things are up — inflation and deficit, he added.