The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India Marxist has asked the government to rethink its strategy of planning, governance and shaping the economy after the revelations made by the CAG report. The CPIM has raised the issues:-
1. Fiscal consolidation: – The party has stated, both the BJP and the CAG are obsessed and paranoid about fiscal consolidation. Not that the CPIM supports burgeoning fiscal deficit but the broad directions, and contours of planning by the government and the CAG are governed with neo liberal mindset. What both are suggesting is austerity measures and withdrawing the state support offered to the people. The CPIM has stated this will not help and instead would further aggravate the situation. The party, innumerable times has suggested alternative economic interventions, the foremost being generating resources prime being from hydro and cement sectors and getting the share of the state from the centre and through the provisions of the Punjab Re-organisation Act. The party has stated, the state should not be ridiculed time and again for getting more than 50% of the budgetary support through grant-in –aid from the centre as the largest source after nationalisation of forests in 1980 has already been snatched. Hence getting special category status is the legitimate right of the state.
2. The second point the party intends to make is with respect to the variation in budgetary and Actual estimates in the state. Also the failure of the BJP government in getting the due for the state. The government has failed in PDS, has given benefits to private contractors. The BJP has not been able to press upon for what was due and this shows the disinterest it has for the state . It has lost crores in PWD, in purchases and so on. In all the party has shown in ineptness in maintaining whatever wealth it had in the right direction which means that it has actually taken away the benefits that should have been provided to the people of the state.
The CPIM has asked the government to show prudence and learn lessons worldwide that with neo liberal policies the crisis is going to deepen and it will politically also impact its prospects.
