Indian GDP Quadrupled in Decade of UPA Rule:AICC Spokesperson Anand Sharma

By Rons Bantwal
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai, 22 April 2014: India has created a world record of quadrupling its GDP in a decade and this happened under the rule of UPA I and UPA II, pointed out All India Congress Committee Spokesperson and Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles Shri Anand Sharma, in Mumbai today.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, the MPCC office at Nariman Point, Shri Sharma said that even during the industrial revolution none of the beneficiary countries like the US, the UK or Germany could double its GDP in a decade. It took at least 11 to 12 years. He said that Japan was the first country, which could double its GDP in a decade and China broke that record by increasing its GDP three times in a decade.

Shri Sharma readout the financial achievements of the country under UPA, quoting various reports, especially of the Reserve Bank of India. He pointed out that India has seen the quadrupling of its GDP in a decade and this happened under the UPA I and UPA II. In 2004, the GDP of India was US $ 500 billion and today our GDP stands at US $ 2 trillion. No other country has been able to achieve this.

The growth rate in the country under the NDA was less than 6.6 per cent. During the UPA rule it was around 7.7 per cent, except in the last two years, which we also accept. But we have to appreciate that during the NDA the tail winds were favourable, whereas during the UPA rule there was a global financial slowdown and several countries are still to recover from that. Notwithstanding this, India is number two in the world in terms of growth rate.

The per capital income in 2004 was Rs 24,000, today it stands at Rs 69,000. The life expectancy in the country has also gone up by five years for males and six years for females. This is due to the better health care services and other welfare schemes. In any country in the world an increase in the life expectancy by five to six years is considered a major achievement and calls for celebration, but we did not do that.

 

Our foreign exchange reserve was US $ 100 billion in 2004 and today it is US $ 300 billion. This is despite that fact that the oil prices were around US $ 23 to 25, today it is US $ 120 to US $ 125. Our petroleum products import bill was US $ 20 billion and today it is US $ 180 billion.

During the UPA rule the exports have gone up five times. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has gone up 15 times. The export bill in 2004 was US $ 60 billion and now it is US $ 312 billion.

All these are achievements of our country and these should not be looked down up, he said. “Election propaganda is one thing, but when false information is spread and all these achievements are denied, it demoralises the people,” he said.
“Our achievements are being projected as our failures, false propaganda is created to malign the Congress and to lower its esteem in the eyes of the people by the BJP,” he said.

Shri Sharma questioned how the BJP, which was making so much noise about black money in the country, was spending such huge amounts on the election campaign. “They seem to know where the black money is and how to use it. Their campaign budget for this election is over Rs 10,000 crore. Look at the airtime they have booked on the 174 television channels in the country. In every newspaper, including the regional newspapers have been carrying three and four page advertisements projecting Narendra Modi. Where is the money coming from?”

Over 300 rallies of Modi have been held till date how much money has been spent on the rallies, he asked.
At the behest of the RSS, Modi is being projected. Modi has been moulded by the RSS and he has the experience of the BJP. They want to give power to one man, this is dangerous for the future of the country. An impression is being created that he has the solution of all the problems of this country. He is challenging Indian democracy and is knocking on is door. This individualism and dramatics cannot be imposed on the 125 crore people of the country and neither will they accept it.
As a pre-planned strategy, an impression is being created about the trend and the situation in the country. The figures of opinion polls being churned out every month is a clear indication that the opinion polls are doctored.

He pointed out that India is a multilateral country and there are different influences in different parts of the country. This election is an election of ideology. On one hand is the Congress ideology, which is democratic, secular and all inclusive; while on the other hand is the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is narrow minded, divisive, believes in polarisation and centralisation of power, which is contrary to our parliamentary democracy.

Giving figures from officials reports, including those of the Reserve Bank of India, Shri Sharma pooh-poohed the lies spread by the BJP and the claims of the Gujarat Model of development. When Modi came to power Gujarat was number 6 in the national ranking of states; it has gone down to the tenth position today. The public debt of Gujarat was Rs 45,000 crore today it is Rs 1,70,000 crore, making Gujarat the third most indebted state of India, after West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
In terms of Foreign Direct Investment Modi claims that Gujarat is number one. The fact is Maharashtra stands at number one and Gujarat is at number 5.

The Malnutrition deaths in Gujarat stand at 44 per 1000 and in terms of education it is number 17 in the country. With a great sense of humour Shri Sharma stated that in terms of manufacturing Gujarat stands at number 6 and added after a pause--from below.
Most part of th

e legislative session is adjourned and the opposition has to sit out. Modi has not answered a single starred question in the legislature. He has not participated in any discussion in the legislature, neither on the Governor’s address or the budget. He has not addressed any press conference. All this because he cannot be questioned. Phones of IAS officers, ministers and even citizens are tapped. This is a dangerous mindset. Gujarat is a model of a police state, Shri Sharma added.