Finance Ministers' meeting of BJP-ruled states
New Delhi - December 11th, 2004

Salient Points of the inaugural speech of Shri Jaswant Singh

Shri Jaswant Singh, former Finance Minister in the NDA government and senior BJP leader inaugurated the Finance Ministers' meeting of BJP-ruled states on December 11th, 2004 in New Delhi. In his inaugural speech, he stressed the importance of the states' recognizing their own strength. He mentioned that 10.1% industrial growth that was achieved for this fiscal year has been due to pro-growth policies of the NDA government. He warned that given the cavalier attitude of the Congress-Communist combine UPA government on the security issue, the business environment was being disturbed. It is sad that the Centre is being unable to come out with a policy dealing with Left-wing extremism, which aims to overthrow the parliamentary democracy through protracted guerilla warfare .

Shri Jaswant Singh expressed anguish at the discriminatory attitude of the Congress-Communist combine UPA government towards the state governments of BJP-ruled states. He recalled that the NDA government had never discriminated against non-NDA state governments during their rule. The decision of the Congress party's state government in Punjab to stop or drastically reduce water supply from the Bhakra-Nangal dam to neighbouring regions of Rajasthan is a serious blow to national integrity and a clear evidence of the discriminatory mindset of Congress rulers. He expressed surprise that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has conveyed his "helplessness" on such undemocratic and discriminatory actions of the Punjab government.

Shri Jaswant Singh said that it was important to change our mental attitude. "First reform is the reform of the mental attitude". Due to policy reforms carried during the NDA regime the balance of power has shifted to the states and they should not become "Yachaks" (supplicants) before the centre but to realise their own strength. He then said that no business opportunity can be availed of, if the human resources are not developed. He said that instead of free power, what we must work towards is the stage of uninterrupted quality power supply .

Shri Jaswant Singh stressed that to rural income, water becomes a prime requirement. Additionally, there must be flood resistant warehousing facilities, agri-industries and easy availability of low interest agricultural credit. As our agriculture is growing, so would the need for larger and larger availability of agri-credits. Our states must study some of the models of South Indian states( Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) in the issues of Agri- reforms, however keeping in mind that it is equally important to bring reforms in the Agri- credit management.