Motion of Thanks OTJ PHALGUNA 10, 1904 (SAKA) the P,esidenfs Address 20 aU~'"l sinrT~ lfiT . ~ ~ e(if\I( t1' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 7TlfT ~-~ ~t 20 cq Il'"c tllFf ~ I m , . .. srhH;r ~~ ~ q"{ ~ I ~ ~ ~ 40 ~ arm +iiii<0 ctfr ~ ~ ~~ ~ qm Ii ii1~(T ctfr ~ ~ ~w CFn ~? ~ f+iM"+i~ it CJh THE PRIME MINISTER (SHRI li'if ~ ~1 f~{1cfl I ~ «(I!f\r ( " ): Mr. Speaker, Cf>1f ~rrc-.;r ;r;rr ~ ~ ~ ~ 'fiT'['i a large number of hon'ble members spoken on the President's Address. ffi1T;:r~ 1m I «(ffll < ;f \iJT fQ M+i ff " have made good points, others hlve cf ur m:r fCfitfT ~ ~ * f~« rGf ~ aftit peated their pet theories and olhen a ¥iiiic;:h"{ ~ ~TG ~ ~ f.:tf economic situation and secondly th: , 1 Motion of Thanks on MARCH I I, 1983 the President's AddreSf

Shrim3t~ Indira Gandhi] saved from the debilitating impact of a great natural calamity. edented drought of 1982 in vast areas our own country. In 1979-80, in spite of a comfortable situation in food stocks and foreign ex- change reserves. prices were allowed to e Indian economy cannot be comp- increa e by nearly 22 per cent. By con- • • 1y insulated from the international trast, in the drought year of 1982 tho price ri e has been only 2.8 per cent. [I mic environment within which it When world trade stag- There was nothing fortuitous about it. In fact, prices had begun to rise sharply ••Il . 0 r e. 'ports are also adversely ifc fed. AiJ is becoming increasingly in the middle of 1982. But the Gov- o ,Ver and more difficult to get. The ernment moved quickly to control thi! • lJoJ or d 's pa -; ing through a period trend through appropriate monetary mea.. I)j econom·" turmoil marked by hi h sures, timely import. increased supply or °f(.s of imhtion and unemployment. . essential commodities and vigorous eo "0 th:! inJu trinlly advanced count· efforts for grains procurement. In fact, i ~ :he a 'erage rate of growth was only the procurement of rice and wheat in J pfT cent ast year. The l1on-oil-e:- 1982 was higher than in " the previous llrtir,g-deve oping countries were the year and this helped the steady flow of 'onl b·t. _ufferip'¥' from the inherent foodgrains through the public distribution yea \:,e· ses of ~bteir ewn economies and system. Again, in the previous drought ~ho ::0 I he reper u sions of recession year of 1979-80 the national income ac" in f V L0ped e-onomies, During 1982, tually fell by 4.8 per cent and industrial he ;nfl"t;on rr e in non-oil-exporting-deve- production by 1.4 per cent By contrast, oping :o;.,mtri was as hi gh as 35 p r in the drought year 1982 there has been ""cnt, t.lnd 'he ver,age rate of growth only an increase in indu trial production of 1.8 P 'I cent. (In thi year of all-round 4.5 per cent and an increase in the I D' ~iOD is .one of the very few national, income of 2 per cent. What ::'OUD ries whi h ha managed to keep the is more, improvements in infrastructure toDD a rate of in1lation at the low leve l fadlities--power coal, railway--were main.. f 2.8 per cent while sustaining a re~ tained. the tempo of investme.nt . has been loably satisfactory rate of growth. increased and plan outlays augmented substantially. This is the difference between good and bad management. The growth rate of 2 per cent is less .. . b D that of the previous ·year. but here I have never expected bouquets from 1. come to the second point I made ear·' the Opposition, but only political pre.. tic , \; hich ic; that this gro,wth rate has judice, and perhaps sheer habit will .bct.n a hieved in a year of severe drought throw brickbats at such a record. .On whkh affected 43 million hectares of land the economic front, the picture is neither and. 6 crore people. Our la t drought illu ory nor exaggerated, as an Hon'ble \ as in 1979-80 when 38 million hectares Member has alleged. f anJ ,!-nd 22 crore people were affec~ l«.. J. But jf we compare the state of An Hon. Member regretted the illade~ the e onomy nQ1V with that of the pre- quacy of grain tocks. On the 1 t Febr--

i s drought year, the ·Hp,use , t can judge uary, 1983 the e stocks were 12.5 million b t e- n good and bad management. In tonne . Thi is higher than the stocks co nt ry like ours, heavily dependent in February 1981 or 1982. There are n the monsoon, all that the Govern- 2.76 lakh recogni ed fair-price shop, of 1... 0t an do in a year of monsoon which 78 per cent are in the rural areas, f~il r is to try to mitigate it adver e covering about 52 crore people. I do 'Olpa t through good management of the concede that the system i not perfect. ~ onomy. Thi is exactly what we did It · need greater improvement. \Vhenever 'n 1982. That is how the country was difficulties are brought to our notice. we ,Iolion of Thanks on PHALGtlNA 10, 1904 (Saka) the President. Address • ru h sto ks~ and try to remedy the below 2 per c nt i.e. 1.9 per ce • ituation. sincerely hope at no intere ted gro will once more mt lead the peop Many hon. Members have spoken of rever e thi downward trend. the problems of their own States. Sir, this is hardJy. the fprum-, where we can The Budget propo al are fre b in y go in~o the specific problems of each mind . The Finance Mini ter h .had different State. I know that States are extremely difficult and uneviable ta . Bu facing difficultie . Recently we have the Budget icon i tent with our nati sent some grain to Tamil Nadu as welt policy. It has novel prop<> also It ilt as to orne other States who a ked for uce new mea ure for reformi our it. fi nancia l administration, all of wbi 'h witl h. v¢ a long term imp ct on our e ono my. T hi' Budget and orne other arHe pro ~ Another Member thOUght 'that our po af will mobili e a re onably 1 r uccess in checking prices was due not amount of re ource . There i no esca e to our own efforts but because · price from thi, becau e we canno t lose the were falling all over the world. Frankly, oml!ntum of planned developm .! D. Til Sir, - I do not know which world our ba: ic tenet of thi Budget and for tit t friend was referring to~ It is no ecret matter of our national e nom' , poJi "y, that inflation- is raging in Europe and in a been to keep up Plan e x ~nditure. several countries of A ia, Africa and The: Central Plan expenditure in the la America-both North and South. y ar' , Budget wa to increa e by moe Runaway prk:es are the major problem in than 27 per cent. Thi year the increa many countries. In some countries where will be m0re than 26 pe r cent. Whltcvcr prices of certain es ential commodities are e e we have to cut and e ono he n. low, the goods are just not available, re- WI! have tried to proted our Plan. Bv sulting in long unsatisfied queues, which so, I am aware that we have h:l~ to I have seen with my own eyes. Another give up many worthwhile and even nece - hon. Member remarked that the rise in S:.lry projects of the tates and e-ven of consumer prices was much higher than in Ce tral lini..,tr ie . I might say lha~ som ," hole. ale prices. This does happl;n. But o~ the e project were very dear tv ml the rate of increa e even in consumer pri - h;!:lrt. \Vhatcver may be our ditlicu tk.s: ces ha been brought under check. This drought and inilation, international rvee year it wa 8 per cent in December 1982, sion and balance of pa) ments, we hav compared to 12 .7 in December, 1981. en"ured that we are not defle~ted from P ublic memory j c aid to be . hort. But Ol!r path of long-krm development to· we ex pe<.t parliamentary memory to be \ I,..J.[ t.., elf-reliance. Within the Plan, 0 somewhat longer. Have our opponents o t I'!1V)t important prioritieS ar the infra,," the Right and the Left, who were com- tru..:ture, which I have already m ntioned. ponents or upporters of the , su.:h as power, railway-, coal steel, trans- so soon forgotten? port and above all petroleum. In agri- ture, we emphas ise irrigation, fertili er It was amusing but not perhaps ll n~ a d other service - pedal prog amme3 expected from a party known for its in- fo small and marginal farmers to inl.,.rease consi tency to critici e our family plann- their productivity an~ other mea ure. d i- ing efforts as being inadequate. Need 1 re tly related to belp the poorer n th~ remind the House that it was the Janata we ker sections. Party which completely scuttled the fa- mily planning programme through vicious To maintain thi effort, we haV!! to and fal e propaganda and when in power raise re ources. This the Finance Min" tel even obliterated its name. It may interest has tried to do in a non-inflationary the Hou e to know that in the la t months nero Tho e who have more must the rate of growth of our population has, more must pay more. If market price :for the very first time, come down to too high, providing large profits for Motion 0/ Thanks 011 MARCH 1. 1983 the President's Address

h~ imati Indira Gandhi] . . charge is levelled by tho e who want wor• ommodities, part of the e profits hould kers to he anti-Government, not for the good of the worker but perhaps for their v c back', to the exchequer. If busine own end . I am grateful to the workers I d individuals pend less and save and have refu ed to become their tools. in t more, they will al 0 be taxed Ie s. \Vb? TtllS does not mean that we are oblivious E t ryone of us has to hare thi mam- m th task of national development, by of the hardships caused by lock-outs and other such step, They al 0 have to be sa ing more, by investing in productive Jooked at and dealt With. , t, by working harder and becoming more productive and efficient. We also ant increases in outlays, plan or non- \Ve are constantly on the look-out for ~ Jan, public or private, to cr ate greater new ideas. I is with this view that [ demand for dome tic products, We cannot have invited five eminent economists as T~eir all import . BlIt we mu t protect our advisers. work will not overlap in n e ti indu try, many of who 'e proh- any way wIth the functions of the Plann- km are tho e of development. But I mu t jng Commt sion. A rather uperficial ~)$ ay, ir, thJt much of our domesti omment was printed in a newspaper-"we ~ D u try, having been protected so long, have enougn advice; what i needed is i oming more and more reluctant to more performance". Does one replace the ~tand n its own feet and to face com .. other? On the contrary, one is dependent on the other. Everywhere there i a search tlllon, OJ that j another a pect whi b a to be looked into. It i a testimony for new idea, new ways out for prob- our poli ies of industriali ation that lem and complex crises. The condition ~J'~e orne. tic capacitic have been built of the global economy is grave. If oil pri- in a wide variety of products which are ~es go up, there is one kind of problem, lf they start coming down, the world is lhSO fairly com petitive internationally. o 'cr the la t few years our exports of caught in another kind of spin. Internatio- nal trade is in humbles. Developing co- e gineering goods have increased rapidly. untries like ours are the hardest hit. I am The Budget ha given orne more incen~ ure, that the eminent economists will tiv s for e ports. We want our industries come up with constructive ideas for short ~ t rise to the challenge, increa e their term as well as long-term olutions. I f'1 ~iency and expand their production. have often expressed myself on certain fo be little our achievements is to de-- ideologies. Members of the Opposition, l)De n· grate not my party or my Governmen group or another, are deeply committed ut our valiant and hard-working people to various ideologies. But I am Jooking , _ our fnrmers, our worker ', scienti ts, for a new break-through, not- a rehash of old ideologies. t 'hnicinn and many others.

As the watchdog o( the national econo· Another charge which is particularly off m , Parliament has often criticised our 1he mark is that we have moved from public sector enterprise . Even our col1ea~ Ollr objective of self-reliance, Self-reliance ~ les of the Left, who ideologically claim and th" trengthening of our country' ~:l support the public sector, have some~ economy and fibre are tbe basis of our t '!'nes somehow undermined itc; morale. decisions and actions as a Government. ow that this 'ector's performance hag :Many of the economic views and philoso- improved, let u, not deny it the appre- phies which are held by certain peo!,le ciation and credit which are it due, Let in the Opposition. have been derived from us urge the worker and the executives theories propounded abroad , where circum- to keep up their good work. stances and conditions are totally different and even there these theories can hardly We have been unjustly accused of being claim much success. Our approach j to &nti.wcrker. This is most unfair. We are find onr own formulations and solutions. mpathetic to their pr ,blems and hard ahi ana they have usually been coopera- The Government hac; a 0 been accused tf.e In spite of many diffi. cultie'3. This of not being serious about dealing with Motion of Thanks on PHALGU A 10, 1904 (SAK.t the President 430 Address corruption. Corruption drains away a acting accordingly. I hould like to now good portion of funds. It undermines the whether any of th partie present here moral fibre and weakensII· us as a who have been in Government in many cation. States have taken any suCh action. I do not know of any such inst nces. 16.00 hrs. On the domestic ,political scene, thero

It is unfortunate that an impression is j • have been orne thoughtful observations, ought to be created that India is a particularly from colleagues of my party. corrupt country. This -is a slur I against the The growth of regionalism is a matter nation. Several opposition parties Conven- of grave concern. It has been the policy iently overlook the complaint, which they of the Congress to provide adequate scope them elves have made against one another, for the expression of the regional perso- and propagate that the Congres alone has nality and I trongly adhere to this vi w. corruption. We are fighting corruption and But this per onality has to function with- we do take action against those who e im- in the national perspective. age, we have reason to believe, is not good. But, often enough, such people are Some people have begun to talk loosely encouraged by the opposition. -There are about the breaking up of the country. Tho no two opinions that corruption is an country i not going to break up. This evil, but so is the political use sought to Parliament and my party and, I am sure, be made of it. We are determined to all parties here will never let this hap- eradicate this evil of corruption. (Inter- pen. But jf any party, group or per on, ruptions) There are many in tances 1 concentrates too much on the problem cannot go into the Ii t ju t now. of a particular region in isolation from the problems of the country as a whole, HRI SATYASADHAN CHAKRA- then ten ions will be aggravated. BORTY: Not a single in tance.

The House has had a detailed debata HRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI: I do not want to argue with you here. There on Assam. I do not want to go into this bave been many in tances which are quite question all over again. As I said last well-known. week, the need is for all sections to curb their emotions and come together to find solutions. There is no problem SHRI SATYASADHAN CHAKRA- which cannot be solved amicably and th~ BORTY: I want a ingle instance ..• . rough earne t di Cll sions. Even if some (I Ilterruptions) young people today are consumed by an- ger, as T said, I continue to regard them SHRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI: I am as my children and the children of this not going to yield to the hon Member. J country. But, more important, can I put am quite sure of my ground on this. I aside my responsibility to my country, to do not make wild statements. its unity and its integrity? • SHRT SATYASADHAN CHAKRA· BORTY: You have to ju tify what you A Congre s Member spoke with great -say. feeling and conviction on the need fo the revival of the spirit of brotherhood SHRIMATI INDIRA GANDHI: I have in Punjab. If I have understood Sikhism ju tified it on many occasiom. There have aright, its basic tenet is love and broth~r­ been orne thoughtful observation ' .... hood among all people. The most movtn (Interruptions) This does not mean that of the hymns of Shri Guru Nanak De if the opposition shouts, what they are are those where he says that Hindus an sh01.~ting is true. It does not mean that Muslims are alike. And in our country what yelIew journalism writes is true. We Hindus, Muslim Sikhs, Christian", ' Bud· ave our own ways of finding out and dhists, J a ins, Parsis and J ws ar a eq L Mation of Thanks on MARCH 1. 1983 the Presidents Address 43 ment" was in practice, the r~s . (Smt Indira Gandhi) of the Anon-aliged world w~ e Unfortunately, some sections are whip' 'genuinely' perplexed as to oue ping up communalism. A large number 'genuine' intentions. Some have repea~ .. of communal incidents are basically the ted the Western (in which non-'«"estern f;>l- result of economic or other rivalries and lowers of the We t are included) propa~ fears. Some mischievous elements imme- ganda that India i isolated. Are we t diately exploit ' thym for communal and make up our minds and act according to political ends. Some think by stirring tro- what we consider right and just, or un4 uble they will ~aps have a chance to thinkingly accept the opinions of others? become leader~ I do not want to remind hon. Members of the number of occasions on which we Some mention was made just now about have borne the brunt of aggressive, even Memberships, Directorships etc. of certain malicious accusations from many ides Boards. We are reviewing this matter and but ultimately it was our assessment which I agree that there are many aspects on turned out to be the correct one. And which urgent measures must be taken; even today, in fact at every non-alinged some are being considered and other conference-if I remember, long before uggestion are welcome. My appeal to the time that I was in Government - the House and to the hon. Members is there have been tremendous pressures from that whether in ide the House or outside, outside to somehow derail the movement. thi is not the time to speak or to do to somehow create tension and disagree- ~ythi n g which could spark off new inci- ment and to be able to say that the dents or tensions. You may not consider movement has failed. something to be aggressive or even com- munal, but in this delicate situation one So, I hope that whatever the personal just does not know how other people will or party opinions of hon. Members may react. I am sorry to ay that there i a be, they, and indeed all Indians, will give growth of certain extremist organisations fu ll cooperation to make the forthcoming among t the Hindus as well as amongst Non-Aligned meeting a success. Its efIec- the Muslims, and this is not helping the tiveness can do much towards the solu~ cause of harmony for any section. tion of issues which are vital to th! world - Di armament and peace, and The Home l\iinister was telling me just cooperation and development. DOW that the MandaI Commission's Re- port i being discu sed with the Chief Once more, I thank you all and com- Mini tel's. mend the President's Address for the ac· ceptance of the House. It has been remarked that we hould overhaul our Intelligence machinery. We MR. SPEAKER: A number of amend are looking into this question. I myse1f ments have been moved by Members to feel deeply concerned. It is the same as the Motion of Thanks. Shall I put aU regards the training of police forces to the amendments together to the vote of be more sensitive to situations and to the House? public feelings and above all not to be wayed from their duty of protecting the SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes. people, so that they earn their trust and PROF. MADHU DANDAVATE: Sir confidence. We are takina some steps in mass massacre is not advisable? this direction. MR. SPEAKER : It is a mass get·toge- Some Members have spoken about non- ther? alignment. I heard mention again of All the A mendment were put and ugenuinely non-aligned". I had thought negatived. that this phrase which had occasioned so ucb ridicule would now be avoided. MR. SPEAKER: I shall now put the Wh D the lO·called "genuine non-align- main motion to the vote of the House .. 433 HI,. Budget, 1983-94- PHALOUNA 10, 1904 (SAKA.) Glinl. Dis. 434 The question is: R. SPEAKER: Dada, .are you s g. ing a walk-out? "1'hat an Address be pre nted to the President in the following terms:- SHRI OMNATH CHATTERJEE (fa 'That the Members of davpur): I am on a point of order. Is j as embled in this Session are deeply desirable that a Minister of another GOY- grateful to the President for the ernment should be here in ide the Hous"'? Addres which he has been pleased to MR. SPEAKER: As long as he is a deliver to both Houses of Parliament Member of the House. a sembled together on the 18th Feb- ruary, 1983\ " SHRf SOMNATH CHATTERJEE: am not questioning. I am raising a ques· The motion was adopted. tion of principle. MR. SPEAKER : Before you hay t- 16.10 hrs. ken objection, he has already gone out. RAILWAY BUDGET, 1983-84-GENE- RAL DISCUSSION. SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE MR. SPEAKER : We now take up Ge- Plea e look into it. neral Di cussion on the Budget (Rail- MR. PEAK R : All right. ways). The ex-Minister. PROF. MADHU DANDAVATE : As PROF. MADHU DANDAVATE (Raja- far a railway op ration are concerned, pur): I ri e to initiate discussion on the they are to be judged against the back- Railway Budget for 1983-84. ground of the va t expan e of the R jl At the very outset let me go on record ways. We have almo t 61,000 route Ho · that as far as Railways' performance is metres of the railway which almo ·t cov~ r§ concerned it has to be judged in the 7,000 stations in the country and we hav. background that we have a very vast net- the trains which are hauled by a .;)ut work of Railways and, therefore, there are 10,000 locomotive and it i. to the r~ln lot of difficulties that are to be faced in of the Railway sy tern that every d' managing the operation of Railways. \Ve a OUt a crore of pas engers travel y are probably the second largest railways the Indian railways on 61,000 kilo _t ~g managed by a single management ... and 60,000-70,000 tonnes of freight i (Interruptions). There is too much of did- carried by the Indian Railways. S ~h turbance. being the expanse of the Railways, VI ... being the second largest railways uod r MR. SPEAKER: They are in pandemo- single management. I \\lish that the Rail- nium. Are they going to get into the way are managed and handled in train? manner by which the efficiency of th_ Railways will be augmented from ti c PROF. MADHU DANDAVATE: I can to time and it will be inkeeping w' It under tand accidents in the Railways, why accidents in the House? other sectors of our economy. As far as the railway operations are CO:t- MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. If you want to go out, go quietly and do not c~rned, they do not begin from the time make it a railway platform. our new Railway Mini ter has tak I over. Fortunately, he has the legacy of All right, now start. good achievements on the part of the Railways and only because persons ma PROF. MADHU DANDAVATE: I feel naging this portfolio happen to beJong t ,. \ highly honoured that the Chief Minister another party, I cannot discord the goo of State is also present on work that the Indian Railways, the wor- this occasion. kers and officers have put in. 16.11 brs. Over the last few years there have b .... e A t this stage Shri Vasantrao PatU left the certain achievements and there have bee House. certain failures. When the new t-up cam...