FOOD SCHEME INSULT TO HUNGRY: BHIKHU PAREKH
Monday, 09 September 2013 | Nayan Dave | VADODARA
Lord Bhikhu Parekh, a UK-based economist and recipient of Padma Bhushan, criticised UPA Government’s Food Security Bill initiative saying that there is no point of providing wheat and rice to poor at subsidised rate without providing them house to live.
For the poor, wheat and rice are not adequate at a time when prices of onions, cooking gas and edible oils are skyrocketing, opined Parekh, who was associated with London School of Economics and University of Glasgow.
“The Indian Government should work on capacity building among underprivileged people so that they can live with self-esteem and pride,” said the economist, a baron with Gujarati roots, who once criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his much-talked about “Sadbhavana” fast couple of years back.
However, few months back, Parekh also spoke in support of the BJP saying that the BJP leader (Modi) “deserve national projection” and shouldn’t be singled out for “black mark” because of Godhra riots.
“The Bill would not help poor people in India completely. There are chances that it would lead enormous wastage of food. It shows the Government’s ‘Mai-Baap’ attitude by keeping poor men dependent. It is nothing but insult to hungry and shows enormous arrogance on the part of Government. Rather money should be spent on capacity building to get rid of dependency psychology,” he said talking to The Pioneer on the sideline of a function in Vadodara.
On the constant devaluation of Indian rupee, the former Vice-Chancellor of Vadodara based iconic Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad University said that as per the law of economics deepness of any economy reflects in its currency.
“Falling rupee means costlier import of petroleum products. High-level technology and related goods will also become dearer,” said an academic of repute, who was appointed a life peer as Baron Parekh in the year 2000, seven years before, the Indian Government honoured him with the Padma Bhushan.
He, however, sees positives in the devaluating Indian Rupee. According to him it is structural flow in Indian economy and not a casual flow. “It seems the Government is letting it run its course. Even RBI is not selling Dollars. The message is clear, the Government wants to correct fiscal deficit. It would discourage foreign travelling. The falling rupee would result into negative growth in import as well as availability of Indian goods at cheaper rates in international market.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/food-scheme-insult-to-hungry-bhikhu-parekh.html
No comments:
Post a Comment