Mr.
Chairman, Sir, I expected the Government to state more about the rehabilitation
measures for displaced Sri Lankan Tamils. The Government wants to
maintain the momentum for reforms but the adverse impact of
inflation is still there. Ordinary people are facing problems due to price
rise. Here, I would like to point out that the Centre must follow the administrative
measures of the hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in
containing rise in prices of certain articles like cereals, pulses, oilseeds
and vegetables. The Centre is now thinking of reaching the poor through the Public
Distribution System to supply pulses. Our leader has gone one step beyond
that. Food preparation materials containing pulses and even spices are supplied
at an affordable price through the Public Distribution System in Tamil Nadu.
Only the vagaries of weather are affecting the price situation.140 I wish the Centre evolves a
nationwide policy to help the State Governments to run effectively the Public
Distribution System160 during
natural disasters. The President has said that the Government provides
huge incentives to farmers to produce more. The Minimum Support Price
for paddy and wheat has been doubled, and for sugarcane, it has been
more than doubled. I wish to say that there should be a mechanism to
distribute more of this amount to the States that are successfully managing
both food production and distribution. Our State of Tamil Nadu, which is
engaged in Second Green Revolution measures, must be helped by the
Centre. Offering remunerative prices to farmers will not help them. There
must be effective measures to see that the farmers are directly
benefited. Effective steps must be taken to see that middlemen do
not thrive at280 the cost of
farmers. Online trading and hoarding by greedy middlemen create scarcity
and give rise to price increase. The President has pointed out that concrete
steps will be taken to help the States in promoting agricultural
production. This must320 be
given priority in helping States like Tami Nadu. The Government has stated that
the Food Security Law will be brought forward. This will entitle every
family below poverty line to get food grains at subsidized rates. It is
stated that the National Advisory Council has given inputs in this
regard. I would like to submit that seasoned administrators from the
States, like the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, must be roped in to become
Members of the National Advisory Council. I say this because Tamil Nadu has
been successfully implementing these schemes. When this Government says that
the success420 is dependent on
the commitment of States, then it must come forward to encourage the States,
which are already taking up progressive measures in reforming the Public
Distribution System.
The President has also talked about
terrorism. Maintaining law and order is the primary responsibility
of the State Government with the support of the Central Government. Terrorism,
fundamentalism and violence continue480
to pose major challenges to the country. The Central Government should
also provide sufficient fund to every State to tackle this major issue. The
President has also mentioned about the need of the old-age pension scheme for
workers in the unorganized sectors in the country. At this
juncture, I want to point out that in Tamil Nadu, Rs. 400 per month is being
given to the destitute old-age pensioners. For physically handicapped persons,
Rs. 400 per month is being560
given in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, the President has also talked
about the State funding of election. But the Chief Election Commissioner
of India seems to think otherwise. The Address also talks about electoral
reforms. At this juncture, I would like to point out that certain judicial
authorities come in the way of democratic aspirations of the States
when the election process has started. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, the
Upper House is to be formed soon. The640
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a Resolution to create a Legislative
Council, which was ratified by both the Houses of Parliament. When
the elections for the Council are round the corner, there are attempts to
stall the elections by way of obtaining a stay on the process. I
would like to urge upon the Centre to appear before the judicial700 forum to ensure that Legislative Council
elections in Tamil Nadu are held in time. When the creation of Legislative
Council warrants the ratification by both the Houses of Parliament, it
should not be left to the whims and fancies of any individual to give
a threat that she may strike it down on her own with a single stroke of pen.
This kind of autocratic thinking in a democratic set-up must not be encouraged.
The Centre must not be a mute spectator to this. The Centre intends to give
protection to whistle-blowers. But I would like to point out that
there800 are certain
pipers who will be carrying with them people like rats with their falsified
stories. A diabolic conspiracy was hatched in Tamil Nadu by a corrupt
leader and her accomplices. It has been blown out of proportion in the840 media and it has seriously affected the
image of this Government and this alliance. Hence, certain
Constitutional authorities have started misinterpreting the things which
are not really in their domain. I think I need not go into the
details. The fact is for all to see. Hence, I urge upon the Centre to see that
judicial over-activism is curtailed. I am surprised to find that a one-man
party’s leader has single-handedly stalled the construction of a project
for which several crores of rupees have already been spent. Is it not a
national waste? I cannot understand how this single person alone can get
so much of importance from all the judicial forums. When really important
matters are crying for attention, 960
the courts seem to be carried away by the theatrics of certain political
persons and they get opportunities to steal980
the show on the fast-track mode. Hence, I urge upon the Centre to attach high
priority to expeditious delivery of justice. The President of India has
said that this Government accords priority to improve health
infrastructure. It is good that health service gets importance to
reach the people. At the same time, it is also important to
help people to get specialized treatment during emergency situations. Hence, we
have evolved health insurance plan involving both the Central and the State
Governments.
In the hon. President’s Address,
a mention has been made about many programmes like connecting rural areas with all-weather
roads, drinking water scheme, universalization of secondary
education, introduction of model training courses, etc. These are
programmes which must be taken up by State Governments. The Central
Government must have only areas like Defence and Railways where they have
to concentrate. 1120 But what
is happening now is that most of the powers of States are taken away by the
Central Government. In the name of Concurrent List, education has been
taken away. Most of the States have become glorified municipalities. It is
because the Centre wants to boost itself. That is why it is giving these
programmes. But it is not in a position to implement these programmes
and it is depending on State Governments for their implementation. State
Governments have no powers to impose more taxes and collect money. All
these schemes are Centrally sponsored schemes. Our forefathers have enshrined a
federal set-up in our Constitution. Now, that federalism has gone and
because of that, there is partiality. Some States are getting more funds
which many other States are not able to get. Most of the Members from
the other1260 side have
said that State Governments are not properly implementing the schemes projected
by the Central Government. This attitude should1280
change. Recently, I have read one survey in the newspapers where people have
been asked about their foremost concerns. Almost 41 per cent people have said
that corruption is the most important issue, whereas 40 per cent people have
said that price rise is the main issue. These are the two main issues
that the country is facing. Even in the President’s Address, Madam has said that
there has been a grievance in some quarters that benefits intended for the
poor through these programmes have not reached them in full measure. The
Government itself has accepted this. Actually, whatever they are giving under
the schemes is not reaching the poor. For example, you take price rise. The
price rise is1400 due to so
many things. In this connection, let us see what is happening in the
case of PDS which we are using. The Government is giving rice and other
things. Then we have to see whether the State Governments1440 are administering the scheme and
distributing the rice properly or not. For example, let me tell you what is
happening in my State. Most of the PDS rice is not reaching the poor
people. It is going to Maldives; it is going to Kerala; it is going to
Karnataka. Therefore, distribution of rice is not properly done to the people,
but it is being smuggled out. That is what is happening. Our hon.
President mentioned about corruption. If you take corruption, the major
scandal that took place was the 2G scam. Some hon. Members said
yesterday that 2G spectrum was allocated at cheaper rates to see that rural
people got more benefits. Even the Prime Minister said that. He compared it
with distribution of PDS rice. I am telling that the price of rice
distributed through the PDS is decided by a Government agency. If you take the
real picture of the 2G spectrum scam which has happened1600 recently, you will find that
most of the companies got the benefit.
