Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Gujarat’s hardline Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress-led UPA government and said that it lacks a clear roadmap for achieving sustainable economic growth.
Talking to reporters, the firebrand BJP leader said, “The Centre's policies lack urgency or seriousness in tackling economic crises and there is a sense of pessimism in the 12th Plan.”
"The economic crises faced by the country is virtually due to lack of direction in the macroeconomic management of the country," Modi said at the 57th National Development Council (NDC) meeting here.
Attacking the government for lowering the growth target for the 12th Plan, Modi said though the target of 9% GDP growth, talked about last year, appeared ambitious, "it was not impossible to achieve if we had the political will to do what is necessary".
"In this context, it is painful to note the unmistakable sense of pessimism in the 12th Plan document...Significantly lowering the growth targets of the 12th Plan will further add to the mood of despondency and pessimism in the country and cast increasing doubts on the sustainability of the India Growth Story," he said.
Modi sought to project the Gujarat model of development by listing out the initiatives taken by him in various sectors including agriculture, urban development and decentralised planning.
Modi also told reporters that he has suggested setting up of a national commission for the allocation of natural resources, which should work on the lines of Finance Commission, which meets after five years.
“Like Finance Commission, a national commission on the allocation of natural resources should be constituted that would give its recommendations after every five years.”
Modi made these remarks shortly after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hinted at tough decisions like hike in energy prices and reduction of subsidies to achieve the growth target of 8 per cent in the 12th Five Year Plan.
This was Modi’s first visit to the national capital since his swearing-in as Gujarat’s Chief Minister yesterday.
Modi, who was sworn-in as chief minister for the fourth time yesterday, was greeted by several leaders including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Modi walked up to Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to greet him on assumption of office on Tuesday.
During the NDC meet, Modi avoided a direct interaction with his bête noire Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has opposed the idea of projecting Gujarat chief minister as NDA’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014 General Elections.
With Agency Inputs
First Published: Thursday, December 27, 2012, 13:43