Worse is yet to come: Manmohan Singh on note ban

January 11, 2017

New Delhi, Jan 11: Amid fears of a decline in the country's GDP, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cautioned the people today that the worse was yet to come in the wake of demonetisation which he termed as a "disaster".

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At a convention called by Congress on demonetisation, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram claimed there was no record of the Cabinet meeting of November 8 when the government had said to have taken the decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

In his address at the 'Jan Vedna' conclave, Singh termed demonetisation as a "disaster" and said things were going from bad to worse and that the worse was yet to come. He dismissed as "hollow claim" Prime Minister Narendra "Modi's propaganda" that things have started looking up.

The former Prime Minister said it was the "solemn duty" of all Congress men to tell the people the wrongs that have been done by Modi and that a "clarion call" should be given to the countrymen to "awake and rise" up in protest.

Both Singh and Chidambaram said there would be decline in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) because of demonetisation. Chidambaram, in his address, said there is no record of the Cabinet meeting of November 8. "Where is the Cabinet note? Where is the Cabinet decision?" he asked.

He said that never before in India's history such a farce has been enacted. The former Finance Minister also said that the reputation of RBI is at risk today.

The government and the central bank generally have differences but never before a government has treated RBI like a department of the Government of India, he added.

He said that even one per cent decline in GDP will lead to a loss of Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the country. He said every challenge thrown by Modi government should be matched by the Congress with utmost courage and utmost wisdom.

"Only Congress party can stand up to this (challenge)." The party also issued a statement at the convention that the Prime Minister must reveal what percentage of the demonetised currency notes was black money as practically all the demonetised notes have been deposited in banks.

"This exposes the hollowness of the government's claims. The PM is masquerading as a crusader against black money and corruption after having singularly failed in fulfilling his promises of retrieving the unaccounted wealth and money stashed abroad," it said.

The party said India's image has been tarnished by projection that the Indian economy was primarily based on black money.

"It is also a matter of concern that during the 50-day period of 'notebandi', an unholy nexus of certain corrupt BJP leaders, black-marketeers and bank officials were shown to be operating by various media channels, indulging in illegal conversions of stockpiles of currency," the party said.

It said for the corrupt black money holders, the back door of banks operated, while the common man waited for his turn in lines at front doors.

In the statement, the Congress also demanded an impartial and independent inquiry into charges of personal corruption against Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

"Why has the Modi government not conducted an investigation into this serious charges of corruption for 31 months despite availability of evidence? Why is PM Modi not coming forward to conduct an independent probe in the matter if he has nothing to hide?" the statement said.

On demonetisation, the party said Indian economy has been "disrupted, derailed and it is in a shutdown mode" and that millions of workers in farming and construction and in other sectors have lost jobs and employment.

"The Prime Minister remains unmoved and in denial even when tens of millions of people have been forced to stand in queue before banks and ATMs for nearly 60 days. The promised amount of currency notes has not been made available," the statement said.

"The Congress party expresses its serious concern that investment sentiments remain depressed, the investment rate is negative and the gross capital formation has fallen in real terms."

The ground realities contradict the hype and claims of high GDP growth, it said. The Congress said the blame of pushing the Indian economy into the abyss lies squarely with the Prime Minister and the BJP government and that the party condemns the government for "inflicting immense suffering and hardships" on the people.

The party also condemned "escalation of atrocities on dalits, adivasis and minorities and the violent attack on the poor who have raised their voice of protest in many parts of the country".

"It is deplorable that persons occupying positions of responsibility in the government and in the ruling party have encouraged and endorsed the actions of individuals and organisations responsible for these incidents and acts of violence," it said.

The Congress also accused the BJP dispensation of apathy towards the farmers, agricultural and manual workers and said that there has been acute distress in the agrarian sector.

The party also accused the government of "undermining the established institutions of governance, centralisation of authority, arbitrary partisan decisions, abuse of power and misuse of government agencies to target political opponents, critics and institutions".

"Congress party warns the government that its undemocratic methods and acts to curtail liberty, freedom of expression and violation of fundamental rights of the citizens as enshrined in the Constitution will be strongly resisted," it said.

Comments

Noor
 - 
Wednesday, 11 Jan 2017

Mohanji ache din is coming for modiji mallyaji and those people who are having black money in Swiss bank

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News Network
March 28,2024

Mangaluru, Mar 28: Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP has warned the individuals and political parties against the poll code violations during private events. 
 
“Private events such as marriages, birthdays, housewarming ceremonies, and other non-political programmes do not require any permission. However, one should ensure that there is no violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) at these functions. Permission is needed if the events are attended by politicians or candidates,” the DC said. 

He said that these gatherings will be under the surveillance of MCC teams, as there are chances of luring voters by campaigning and supplying food, said the DC. The district has 38,386 new voters, of which, 19,619 are men.

He said that the notification of election in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency will be issued soon, and the filing of nominations will be held between 11 am and 3 pm till April 4. 

Only five persons, including the candidate, will be allowed to enter the returning officer’s chamber to submit the nominations. A facilitation centre will be opened at the DC’s office. 

The expenditure of the candidate will be counted from the day the candidate files the nomination.

The DC said that the district is not an expenditure-sensitive constituency. Assistant expenditure observers and expenditure observers will monitor the expenditure of the candidates. An expenditure book will be provided to the candidate to record expenditure incurred, he explained.

Further, he said that no election materials can be printed without the name and address of the publishers, and the number of copies printed. Separate permission should be availed for procession prior to the submission of nomination papers from the ARO office, through the single-window system.

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News Network
March 28,2024

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Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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News Network
March 15,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 15: Work from home to using toilets in malls, residents of India's 'Silicon Valley' Bengaluru are exploring all options to combat the unprecedented water crisis. People across various neighbourhoods have been forced to order food from restaurants and take bath on alternate days due to the water scarcity.

Even those in high-rise apartments equipped with water harvesting systems now find themselves reliant on water tankers for basic needs, leading to stringent usage restrictions.

Eateries are mulling over use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water.

Educational institutions are also feeling the pinch. Recently, a coaching centre in the city asked its students to attend classes online due to an 'emergency' for a week. Similarly, a school on Bannerghatta Road was also closed, asking students to attend classes online just like they did during the Covid pandemic.

Residents have come with up new methods to try and conserve water. With temperature rising, it is difficult to avoid a daily shower but they are left with no option but to take bath on alternative days, said Sujatha, a resident of KR Puram.

"What to do? Clean vessels, cook food, wash clothes....so, we have started using paper plates, that way we have cut down on our water usage. And we order food twice a week. We are using the washing machine only once in a week now," she said.

Some others have resorted to visiting a mall to take a shower or use the toilet facilities.

Lakshmi V, an IT professional living in Singasandra, has been requesting her firm to allow WFH option so that she and her family can temporarily shift to her native place in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu until the situation becomes better.

"If the situation persists, we are thinking of seeking a work from home option. We are planning to move to our native place in Tamil Nadu temporarily till rain arrives here," she said.

Bengaluru primarily gets its water supply from two sources - Cauvery river and groundwater. For most non-drinking uses, recycled water processed by sewage treatment plants is used. With no rain for a while now, the primary sources have been stretched to their limits. Bengaluru needs 2,600-2,800 million litres of water daily, and the current supply is half of what's required. The result is a daily struggle for the city's residents.

The brunt is also being borne by people living in the outskirts of Bengaluru, especially in 110 villages that were merged with the city in 2007.

The crisis has also turned into a political battle between the state's ruling Congress government and the opposition BJP with Lok Sabha just weeks away. While the BJP has held several protests blaming the government, the Congress has accused the BJP-ruled federal government of not providing financial assistance to drought-hit Karnataka.

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