Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Opposition to “believe in Make in India” as it is yielding results. She added that the Central government is committed to bringing normalcy to Manipur and assured all support for the economic growth of the State.
Replying to a debate on the supplementary demands for grants and Manipur Budget in the Rajya Sabha, she said “‘Make in India’ has actually given us good results. We took step after step, after step, to strengthen the manufacturing of this country,” she said.
“Believe in Make In India. It is giving you results,” the Minister informed the House. She attacked the Congress for taking too long to formulate national manufacturing policy and for “hurriedly” signing free trade agreements with several countries, which were now being renegotiated and modified.
“You claim that Make in India is not working. Doesn’t that mean that national manufacturing policy itself was flawed? Are you suggesting that? It is your policy. But it remained a policy, it didn’t find an action group. And when we make it an actionable policy, we bring in Make in India, they had problems,” she said.
Sitharaman claimed that the Congress was confused as Make in India had included the national manufacturing policy framed by the UPA. “Make in India is showing how, for example, the defence industry was able to export,” she claimed.
Talking about assets and liabilities of Indian households, she said India’s household debt is relatively low compared to other emerging market economies as well as some developed countries, except for Brazil, where it is 35 per cent. “Ours is being higher with 39 per cent,” she said, and added there has been a significant increase in wages during the Modi government.
Manipur Budget
Responding to the opposition criticism of not paying the required attention to Manipur, she said the Union Home Minister and Minister of State for Home visited the State as part of the Centre’s efforts to bring normalcy. She added that violence in Manipur has adversely impacted economic activities in the State but expressed confidence that it will recover swiftly.
“We extend the fullest support to the State…so that the recovery of Manipur will be sooner than later…We are, all of us here, committed to getting that State back to some normalcy and we want that State to grow and prosper as much as any other State,” Sitharaman asserted.
Observing that the unrest in Manipur led to a reduction in economic activities, she said, “With improvement in law and order and consequent improvement in economic activity, I expect GSDP to show some recovery this year onwards”.
The opposition has been repeatedly questioning the Centre’s stance on Manipur, and taunting BJP’s slogan of ‘double engine government’ (government at the Centre and the State). “Double engine, of course, double engine. That is why the Home Minister was there (for 4 days), and that is why MoS Home was there for more than 23 days,” she said.
Source from: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/believe-in-make-in-india-says-fm-sitharaman/article69344865.ece