JAIPUR: On the second of the Congress’ brainstorming session in Udaipur, former finance minister P Chidambaram said the present state of the s economy has caused “extreme concern, necessitating a reset of economic policies.
”He criticised the ban on wheat export, saying the “anti-farmer” measure would deprive farmers of the benefits of higher export prices. “I presume the Central government has failed to procure enough wheat. It is not that wheat production has come down,” he said. Chidambaram, who is the convenor of the Congress panel deliberating on economic issues at Chintan Shivir, said if procurement had taken place, there would have been no need to ban the export of wheat. “It is an anti-farmer measure and I am not surprised as this government has never been farmer-friendly.”
Attacking the Modi government over rising prices, the former finance minister said, “Inflation has risen to unacceptable levels. The government is actually fueling the rise in inflation by its wrong policies, especially through high taxes on petrol and diesel, high administered prices and high GST rates.”
On the larger “economic crisis”, Chidambaram said a slower growth rate has been the hallmark of the present government in the last eight years. “A reset of economic policies” is necessary to address the rising inequality in the country.
He also argued that due to the economic policies of the Modi government, there was a complete breakdown of trust between states and the Centre. He alleged there was a trust deficit not only in non-BJP ruled states but also among BJP-ruled states.