Discussion on the motion for consideration of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Bill, 2007. ( Bill Passed)
Date:03-12-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity.
No doubt, we all agree with the hon. Minister when he said that this Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology will be an Institute of national importance. At the outset I would like to suggest that, had the name been the Indian Institute of Petroleum Technology, it would have been proper because that would have honoured the late Smt. Indira Gandhi, as it falls in her constituency. However, we support this Bill.
As I was telling our leader Shri Braja Kishore Tripathy and my colleague, Shri B. Mahtab, a time has come for trained personnel to be created in this country. Indigenously trained personnel have to be of world standard. But a few points should have been taken care of in this Bill because those have been bones of contention in the ruling Party or the Party that heads the UPA. We all know about it.
If this Institute is to have a good calibre of international level, then it should have most probably, preferred international collaboration also. For instance, we could have taken the cooperation of companies, like Petronas, British Petroleum and Exon and got international faculty, as well as international students who could have come and studied here. When Indian students study along with international students, when they have the reach and the access to international faculty, then the standard of education or training of those technical personnel would definitely be much better.
We all know that when Iraq withdrew from Kuwait, in the first war, they set oil wells on fire. It took Kuwaitis, along with European and American aid, many months, to douse out those flames. That means, even a simple thing, like putting out an oil well fire also requires a high level of technology. There are just a few personnel in this whole world, who can give that kind of technology. So, when it comes to oil sector, it is not only the question of exploration, but even things, which look so simple, but complex, like putting out fires, need technical personnel which this Institute should definitely address.
Man-power that we create in this country should not only be limited to this country but should be exported abroad also. But we should be careful. We have seen in the case of IITs and other institutes of excellence, they take advantage of the Indian society, they take advantage of Indian tax payer. The moment they pass out of these institutes, they immediately go abroad.
Here, it is not clear what would be the duration of the course or what level of education the students need to have, to get into this Institute. But, as and when it gets specified, I would suggest that a contract should be signed by all indigenous students that after passing out from this Institute, they will mandatorily serve for a certain period within the country. It is very important and I think the hon. Minister, in this very well thought out measure of his, will kindly consider this point also. In his speech, he said that there is a requirement of about 36000 people by 2019 and this survey has been done by some foreign agency. But, I feel that it is a very conservative estimate and I think that the actual requirement will be much more. Like some of the senior MPs have pointed out earlier, it is befitting that institutes of this level should have the local MP, whoever the MP at a particular time, in the Board so that the Board gets the people’s face. Parliament should always insist on having the local MPs in PSUs and in educational institutes so that the level of excellence is retained. Of course, everybody has given kudos to the Minister for controlling the petroleum prices. We, from Biju Janata Dal, also join in this chorus. We also congratulate him for his exemplary success in controlling petroleum product prices within India whereas they have been spiralling up all over the globe. But, along with this I would suggest to him that a similar institute, maybe with a different name like the one I suggested, Indian Institute of Petroleum Technology, could be set up in either in the North-east or in Orissa, as was suggested by my hon. colleague, where we are find that there is oil in the Mahanadi Basin and there is oil also in the Krishna-Godavari Basin also.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Please conclude.
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY : All along the eastern coast also, there is a lot of find. So, to facilitate the students from that part of the country, an institute could be set up in Orissa which would cater to that part.
Sir, it is a known fact that anybody who controls hydrocarbon value chain also controls the future of the country. India today cannot afford to remain isolated and we cannot afford to go half way in our efforts to modernize. Therefore, in the field of petroleum alongwith other fields, it is necessary that we really concentrate on setting up institutes of international standards. If the Government is investing so much money, it should consider having more institutes. I have gone through this Bill and I find that it has not been clarified in it as to how many students will be churned out every year. The Minister should clarify to the House that if you keep 2019 as a target to produce 36000 trained personnel, then what will be the annual output of trained personnel. I would again congratulate the Minister for thinking and bringing forth this exemplary Bill and we hope that apart from Raebareli, whose importance all of us definitely understand, he would also consider that Orissa is another ideal place where he can set up another such parallel institute.
Discussion regarding Indo-US Nuclear Agreement (Discussion concluded)
Date:28-11-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Hon. Deputy- Speaker, Sir, I would like to simply accept a fact that India does not need a lot of energy, and there is no doubt about it. But, unfortunately, this country never believes in perfection, and this Government is an epitome of it.
This is a situation where the so called national media and all major Parties — this side and that side — are in cahoots to do what America wants to do. Therefore, we are unable to even give the countrymen an exact clear picture of what our energy needs will be 50 years hence. The Government is not able to tell the countrymen what our energy requirement will be 50 years hence. In such a situation, I do not wish to quote any expert as it is not necessary. Many hon. Members have already spoken and quoted many national and international experts. But I wish to remind the people about a thing called Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The US could invade and destroy a country like Iraq with a vast history, and destroy a culture without remorse under the pretext of these three letters, namely, WMD. Many countries that backed the US then have backed out of that invasion today because they have realized that it is an insane and a mad country. We have crossed all Party barriers, etc. in our quest to be loved by America, and we are falling head over heals to tell everybody that we support them, but we do not know what we support. We do not know how much power we require, and how much energy we require in the future.
With our little sense, we should ask this to ourselves. Why is a country like Germany that had 19 power plants shut down two of them, and come down to 17 power plants today? Why is France, which used nearly 87 per cent of its power from nuclear energy, planning to scale down their nuclear power plants?
We are not able to question as to why has the US Secretary in the Department of Energy categorically stated, which is there on their website, that by 2020, all radioactive solid and liquid waste shall be cleared from the US mainland. Where will that waste go? Those wastes which will be re-processable will come to countries like India because we believe that we have to be American.
We are not investing in a simple thing. Today, the average national waste or national loss through energy transmission in India is 35 per cent. In my State of Orissa, it is 52 per cent. In developed States like Maharashtra, the average waste is 34 per cent to 35 per cent. If you ask any engineer in any State Electricity Board, he will tell you that the waste or loss at international level is three to four per cent, if we take the loss to be around ten per cent, if we can bring it down by 25 per cent, we will be able to electrify all connected villages in India by providing for 24 hours non-stop electricity. Are we willing to think of that? Are we willing to invest in that? We are not willing to invest in that. Today, in the North -East, a single State like Arunachal Pradesh has the potential to produce 65,000 megawatt of hydel energy. Are we willing to invest there? No, we are not willing to invest there.
This is a situation where we do not know where we will land ourselves, when the whole world is worried about how to dispose of radioactive waste. Earlier, they used to dump into the ocean and they used to dig deep into the earth, but they found that radioactive waste lasts for more than 700 years. When they want to clear off their mess, we are getting all their dirt.
We are all today turning into ex-World Bank employees. The media, the Parliament and the whole Government today has one mindset. Nobody is willing to oppose this move on a ground of logic, on a ground of ethics. We are all dying to be Americans. It is a shame, and the future generations of India will curse us for what we are doing to the country today.
Discussion on the Supplementary Demands for Grants in respect of Budget (General) for 2007-08.
Date:22-08-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Thank you, Madam Chairperson for giving me this opportunity to speak today.
This is a stock taking time for the Government and for the nation on the Budget which was presented earlier this year. When we are supposed to assess what developments we have achieved during the past few months, after the Budget was presented, it is indeed very sad to note that not much can be said about the achievements. In the last Budget, it seemed like the Government had a positive and good motive to boost agriculture.
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But, in the meanwhile, we notice that agriculture has slumped and is barely showing a growth rate of 2.2 per cent. On the other hand, there are other two major sectors, viz., services and manufacturing. Services alone have shown growth whereas production or manufacturing has slumped. We have been unable to give a thrust to two major sectors – one is agriculture and the other is education. In the process, we have to think of where we are taking this country. Are we taking this country on a path where it will only become a service-based nation? Is that the requirement of the world in the future and will India prosper in the long-run if we go in this line or do we need to rethink and reinvent ourselves? The Government keeps on beating a drum that the growth rate of the GDP is 9.3 per cent. But, this is again a sad situation that even if our growth rate of the GDP is 9.3 per cent, that 9.3 per cent growth is getting limited to only probably 9.3 per cent of the population.
Madam, when earlier some of our colleagues spoke, they questioned their own Government that how come the rich are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer. I think the answer lies that the investments of the Government are going into such sectors where it does not manifest itself with the poorer sections of the public. This growth has only shown itself in the coffers of the rich and that is limited to that very 9.3 per cent. That is the percentage of Indians who benefit from the policies of this Government. Madam, we need a lot of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). We have been talking about it and we have been getting some investments. But where have those investments gone? Those investments have not gone to crucial sectors which are required by India where India can build itself into a stronger nation. Instead, all the foreign investments that we get, have been in sectors where the investors can make a quick buck, where their money or monies are least endangered and they can withdraw and runaway with their moneys as and when they like. We have been consciously encouraging that kind of an investment.
Madam, I will just mention a few points. This Government has been claiming about Non- Performing Assets (NPAs) and how that has been dealt with successfully. I have a few specific questions and it is important for the Government to come out clean and tell the nation about it. What was the exact amount paid back by the corporate houses against their NPAs, how much have you completely waived and to whom, how much has been settled by the OTS system, what has been the loss in interest that you have waived?
Now in this age of Corporate raj, it is important that the Government comes clean and tells the country that you are not only forcing farmers in the countryside to commit suicide, but that you are equally stringent on the high and the mighty also. But the citizens of this country know that there is a lack of courage in this Government to come clean, and name names.
So in this situation, I would like to come to the woes of my State, Orissa. It is a State rich in reserves but poor in revenues.[a33]We have helped this nation in the past with our mineral wealth. We are still supporting many States with our coal, iron-ore, bauxite and so many other minerals. It was a happy occasion when the Finance Minister announced that there would be a special cess on export of iron ore of different grades. We were very happy about it and we expected that at least 50 per cent of that cess would be given to the States which have contributed that iron ore. But I do not know what backdoor negotiations took place – whether it is Sesagoa or something else. I do not wish to name any company but everybody came to know that deals were done, things were manipulated and the cess was withdrawn. It is extremely sad that an able and capable Finance Minister of Shri P. Chidambaram’s calibre could not withstand the pressures that came upon this Government.
In my State of Orissa, there is an acute shortage of doctors today in the rural areas. I am sure, that must be the situation in many other States in their rural areas. In my State, the shortage is extremely acute. It is sad that the Ministry of Human Resource Development has not taken a single step to help such States which have this kind of a problem set up their own medical institutes or institutes of higher learning. We have been deprived of any institute worth its name of higher learning in our State. Although the Prime Minister announces, sometimes the HRD Minister announces that institutes would be located in States like Orissa yet, on the ground, in reality, nothing happens. This implies that certain States which contribute to the national economy are being consciously and with political motives being kept away from the mainstream of development. Orissa, I wish to underline, is one of those States.
Now I come to infrastructure. We always think that infrastructure means it is a road, a bridge. But as you know, Madam, coming from an urban constituency that it is not only the roads, bridges and dams that constitute infrastructure but also you need human infrastructure. I can give you a small example. When our farmers grow cotton, it is necessary that if they want to export it, they should have a laboratory which can treat it under the gama ray. But in States like Orissa and in many other States of India, we do not have such simple laboratories which could easily be funded by the Central Government, which could be set up to help the farmers of specific projects.
In the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Project, earlier we had a 75:25 ratio – 75 per cent was paid for by the Central Government and 25 per cent by the State Government. In reality, I have seen in my constituency and in other constituencies of my State that there was development at the ground level. Tangibly you could see things happening. But, in the last Budget, when the Government changed it to a 50:50 ratio, many States are unable to pay their share. So, that Project which was a very welcome Project, which had an impact, has virtually come to a grinding halt. Nothing is happening under that head. As the States are incapable of development at the ground level, it is imperative that in a federal set up like India, we also make a conscious effort that those States which could be made self-sufficient are allowed to become self-sufficient. How would you do that? You can do that by allowing them to grow. Some of our Chief Ministers, six or seven Chief Ministers led by my Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik, met the Prime Minister. They said that the Hooda Committee Report, in certain aspects, was a good report, not the totality but in certain aspects it was a good report. They supported it but they also said that the royalty should be based on the ad valorem price.
You have international companies coming into India to set up industries, but the question is this. Why are they coming to India? It is because if they go to countries like Brazil or China, the demand of those countries would be that if you use our raw material, you pay us the market price. But India is probably a unique country in this world which says that you take our raw material at the price that you and I settle and you take not only the raw material but you take away our mines also.
Madam, there is a saying in Oriya: “You feed your guests with fish if they are non- vegetarians, but don’t show them the pond, it is not necessary for them to see where the pond lies.” In that sense, it is imperative that we also value our natural reserves. These are not inexhaustible. In the very near future our natural reserves will come to an end. If you are giving the petroleum- bearing States a cess of 20 per cent, then why can you not do similar things, based on ad valorem price, to States which have reserves of coal, iron ore, especially bauxite and so many other rich and expensive minerals?
Madam, another major issue of concern is farmers’ suicides. This is a national issue. The farm sector has been continually neglected. Many of our colleagues also spoke earlier on this issue. I would like to harp on one issue and that is that there has been a continuous demand to enlarge the crop insurance scheme so that panchayats, and not blocks, are considered as a unit of assessment. It is a pity that this demand has fallen on deaf ears for a very long period. In the process, when you have flood damage and when you have damage due to drought, the assessment of the damage caused to farmers is not realistic because you are taking a block which can be a very large unit. So, the demand that it should be shrunk to the level of a panchayat is very justified and I would hope and wish that the Government takes note of this.
I would like to bring one last point to your notice and that is that the Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe, in his Address to the Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament this morning, said something very interesting. He spoke for our benefit and his speech was very frightening for anybody who paid heed to what he said. He said this morning that by 2050 India would be the most populous country in the world and our unique situation would be a phenomenal rush of the population from rural to urban centres. So, constituencies like yours will be flooded with people from all the hinterlands of Delhi. Madam, just conceive of that situation as to how frightening it will be. The Government’s major parties’ frightful experiences in matters of population control during the Emergency in the mid 1970s have definitely scared them out of their wits. We understand this, but you cannot completely refrain from making any positive investments in this sector of family planning. It is imperative for this country that we again go on an overdrive in the sector of family planning.
MADAM CHAIRMAN : Mr. Satpathy, one more Member from your party will be participating in this debate and only five minutes are left out of the time allotted for your party. So, kindly sum up and conclude.
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY : All right. I will conclude in five minutes.
MADAM CHAIRMAN: Not in five minutes, but conclude within a minute because one more Member from your party is there to speak.
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY : Madam, historically you have always been kind to me. I am grateful to you.
Madam, this Government does not have the vision of how to invest for the future so that migration to urban areas could be considerably slowed down.So, we are not dealing with either end, we are not making our rural areas attractive so that the youth, the semi-literate and the literate youth of rural India would prefer to remain in the rural areas, work there, get into agriculture or other sectors, make money, be rich and be happy. We are unable to achieve that end. On the other hand, we are also so scared of the experiences during Emergency that no matter which Party comes to power, nobody is willing to talk about family planning. So, we are in a quandary, we are in a situation where we do not know, what the Prime Minister of Japan spoke this morning about 2050, what is going to happen if that is going to come true.
So, this is the time, Madam, I would request the Government and I would request the nation, through you, that this House should express utter concern the way this country is going, the way the Government is non-reactive and therefore, it is time that all of us sat down and took note of the present situation and started getting on it and not politicising every issue to the extent that nothing turns up.
Discussion on the motion for consideration of the Finance Bill, 2007 moved by Shri P. Chidambaram on 30 April, 2007 (Bill passed).
Date:03-05-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak today.
Our Constitution says that we are supposed to be a democratic and socialistic nation. The country is committed to it. People sitting on that part of the House always criticize on India shining. But it is time for us to be honest with ourselves. When we tour our constituencies, we see how the common man, the poor man is completely depleted, suppressed and crushed by the soaring inflation in India today. There is acute shortage of drinking water. People do not get food twice a day and here, we are sitting in this air- conditioned ensconced House. And we are all helping in creating a compartmentalized society in India.
Sir, you are a part of the Left, you are our guide and you should be leading the light. But, unfortunately, that is not happening. I would like to know whether this year’s Budget or even this Finance Bill on taxation is actually aiming to achieving an end where the benefits go down to the common man.
We talk about eight per cent and nine per cent growth in GDP. Does it reflect in the collection of taxes? I have my doubts. The Finance Minister is supposed to be very able. But if we see in reality, it is during these past three years the inflation has broken the back of the common man of India. On the one hand, it is claimed that our tax collection machinery is supposed to be one of the most cost effective, thereby implying that it is one of the most efficient machineries. On the other hand, the Prime Minister is constantly hammering on administrative reforms. So, this innate differences of opinion between the two top men of the Government shows that nobody actually knows what is happening in this country. Nobody is aware of what is happening. Everybody is floating in thin air. That is why the common man today is suffering.
As a Government, you have not made paying taxes an attractive proposition. The tax payer in this country is treated as a criminal. You have not given him benefits which will make people come forward to pay tax, whether for the inpiduals or for the corporates. We are levying taxes, duties, cess, etc. on services and on products which eventually boils down that the common men on the streets have to pay for whatever fancy takes this Government. The poor man is simply stumped by inflation and price rise.
This Government claims that they want to remove inspector raj, which is a very good idea. I would like to know how many common people are really affected by the inspector raj. Which inspector visits your home or my home? They do not. So, who were the inspectors visiting? They were visiting the rich, the mighty, and the industrialists. Now, you want to remove that, which was a small check. Howsoever perverted the check might have been, it was a small check to ensure that quality is guaranteed to the common man in things like services and products. You are hammering on that to break it down. Instead you are creating a corporate raj. You are helping them to build their own domain. Therefore, you have big industrialists eulogizing the activities of this Government. It is but obvious that they will eulogize this Government. Nobody can doubt it.
Since, you have, at the very beginning told that my time is limited, I would just focus on what is happening in my State, Orissa. We export iron ore. We were mostly exporting fines. It was a good news that the Finance Minister had thought it fit to levy Rs. 300 per tonne on export of iron ore. Had we not allowed export of iron ore to Japan in the fifties and sixties, Japan would have been compelled to set up steel plants in India, whereby you would have had automobile and other ancillary industries coming up in India from the fifties and sixties itself, when people were more open to development.
Today, you have Nandigram or other places coming up. … (Interruptions) You have Nandigram and other instances happening which are burning the fingers of the people everywhere. I am not speaking against any Government or any ideology. I am trying to say that when people are seeing alternatives, the Government is becoming regressive. The Government is not trying to see what alternative plans could be thought of .
There are snide remarks in the market that once this iron ore export tax was levied, people went to Hong Kong, sat there, did deals and came back. Now, we see that the Government is claiming that there will be gradation and on the basis of gradation of iron ore, taxes will be levied. This stinks – I would not say smells – of corruption. The Government should be transparent. They should not get into this kind of murky deal. When they charge Rs. 300, let them stick to Rs. 300 because exporters earn nothing less than Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 8,000 as profit from a tonne of iron ore.
So you tax them and give 50 per cent to the States. This is the Federal set up. You take 50 per cent. Please be honest to people and be transparent to people. Do not sit in an air-conditioned hall and claim that we are thinking of the `aam admi’. If you are actually thinking of the aam admi, if you are concerned for the poor, come out openly and spell out your policies and do not kill them with a back hand.
Discussion on the motion for consideration of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill,2006 (Bill Passed).
Date:03-05-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha channels being independent and getting permission to uplink from December 2005 has been a good step and this Bill is welcomed by everybody in this House.
Sir, as all of us are aware, most of us, the legislators, are viewed as walky-talky Rs.2 crore. Due to the MPLAD fund, people are limiting us to that particular aspect of our responsibility. But it is very necessary that countrymen judge us, watch us and see how we perform. We are not iconoclastic and that we are not bourgeois. We are not people who are compartmentalized within this House and that we are actually expressing the opinions and the feelings that the common man expresses or feels. So, while welcoming this amendment which is obvious all of us welcome it, I would like to tell the hon. Minister and his Ministry that in this modern era, we must take care of not to become moral police. We have to give a lot of freedom to the media to ensure that a healthy growth of the media takes place in this country.
As you know, Gandhiji was probably the only person in this country who knew the very pulse of the Indians. He knew, as a race, we are an extremely disobedient race. Therefore, his major thrust and his major programme was on civil disobedience. He knew how to use our *…… quirkiness, weakness or our strength, whatever you call it to achieve the glorious height to which he could take this country.
Let us be aware that while we pass this Bill, let there be no loopholes. I would like to request the hon. Minister to thoroughly check the provisions of the Bill in order that there are no loopholes which would allow this characteristics of ours of being disobedient that we do such a thing which will neutralize the good work done and result eventually in depriving the people of this country from seeing how this august House functions, how the hon. Speaker quietens us and how many times he has to remind the hon. Members of the House about how to behave in the House since the entire country is watching us. Whether we demean ourselves or rise above our pettyselves whatever we are doing has to be constantly told to and seen by the people of this country so that they learn to view the legislators in a different light.
General discussion on the Budget (General) for 2007-08 (Not concluded).
Date:12-03-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak on the General Budget, 2007-08.
At the outset, let me admit that I am no whiz-kid on financial matters unlike our learned Finance Minister or those transferable mandarins in his Ministry or even those leading this country who are great proponents of liberalization, globalization and what not. I even fail to understand simple things. Since childhood, I know that grant is like a dole and loan is to be repaid back but when I read something like a ‘negative grant” to the National Highways Authority of India, I am unable to understand what it implies. So, right at the outset, I am willing to admit that I speak as a fool. But I understand certain things as I read the speech of the Finance Minister in English as a language. The feeling throughout the country is that, in the last ten Five Year Plans, the country has been so managed that it has become a Centre centric financial institution. All the powers which are supposed to be with the States like in the social sector, health, education and the finances of those which are devolved to the States, have all come to the Centre. For this reason, for the last 60 years, most of the States have become beggars while the Centre has become the largest money lender. This Budget is unique to be the first Budget of the Eleventh Five Year plan and everybody is accepting that the nation has a brilliant Finance Minister like Shri P. Chidambaram. He is such a logical person that everybody expected that he will give something new in his Budget. We expected a new directive so that the country has something different to look forward to in the 21st century where the issues primarily raised in his own home State, namely, the Centre- State relations, will be addressed in the coming years.
But unfortunately this Budget does not show any such indication of reversing this trend. As far as we understand, the Planning Commission has a mandate. The planning for this country is supposed to be done on the poverty index. This kind of planning would lead to equitable and sustainable development of the social infrastructure, like health, education, etc. We all are aware that the prime mechanism available with the Central Government to implement these projects is to depend on the States. We all realize that all the States are in the red as far as finances are concerned. They are struggling to pay the salaries of their employees. Every year, in every plan, we see that the Centre expects more and more involvement of the States’ finances in the Centrally-Sponsored Projects. So, a question comes to mind whether this Budget really addresses the problems of the equity of 25 per cent or 50 per cent, that is expected from the State.
In my State we have a lot of mining activities going on. This Budget has levied a tax of Rs. 300 on iron ore exports and Rs. 2000 on chrome. When you dig up 100 metric tones of iron ore, you get 40 per cent lumps and 60 per cent fines. In my State of Orissa, this huge quantity of 60 per cent has been one of the major exports. Let me make it very clear right at the beginning that I am a strong opponent of export of raw materials from this nation in general and from my State in particular. But on the other hand, I am seeing the reality in part of my constituency. From 1st of March many mining companies have virtually come to a grinding halt because fines take up so much storage space that it is impossible to continue further mining. So, when you levy such a tax, you must also know that fines are different from lumps. What do you do with the fines? Have you invested in R&D so that local industries within India are capable of using these fines to produce inverts? You have not done that. You take any big company, whether it is TATA, Birla or Jindal, they all export these fines, but they are not capable of using the fines in any of their own steel plants. So, what this country really needs to do is to create R&D and make the new plants able to use these fines so that we stop exporting these fines. But till such time, some sort of balance has to be found out. We should not simply and blindly go by the recommendations of the Hooda Committee. We can have this on the export of lumps. But as far as fines go, we have to re-think on what is the domestic demand and whether we should levy this tax or not. It is because you are creating a lot of unemployment due to this tax. The total iron ore mining between 2000-05 in India has been 524 million tones. It is very interesting to note that during the same time the reserves discovered went up by 3100 million tones.
What happens is that when there is a mine, they tell you it has say, ten, million tonnes of ore. But then as you do the mining, you realiase that it has much more than 10 million tonnes and it can go up to 20 or 30 million tonnes also. So our reserves have been found on record and the Government has these records that our reserves have gone up. So to help this industry, not help the mining companies but to help all these thousands of people, those truck operators, those truck drivers, those cleaners, those loading people, those loading on to trains, on to ships, in Government ports, all those people have to be taken into account because they are sitting with folded hands not knowing what to do.
Sir, the hon. Minister of Finance announced that in the mid-point of his Government which was November, 2006, the GDP went up from 7.5 per cent in 2004-05 to hopefully 9 per cent which the Prime Minister in his speech also mentioned. In the same breadth you admit that in the Tenth Plan the estimated average agricultural growth has been 2.3 per cent whereas you would have appreciated it if it would have been four per cent. It is very surprising to note that the Minister has so much concern for agriculture, but this concern for agriculture was not reflected in his Budget speech. On the one hand the investment in AIBP has gone up from Rs. 7,121 crore to Rs. 11,000 crore, we have to realize what this accelerated irrigation programme implies to the common farmer. It means more water to more farmers. But the figure of Rs. 7,000 and odd crore going up to Rs. 11,000 crore means, the Minister has taken care only of the inflationary trend. That means in reality, you are not concentrating on more investment, and on the other hand, a very dangerous statement was given in this House in which the Prime Minister said that because largely Indians have very small land holdings – he did not say it, but it seems clear to all of us — therefore he said that rapid industrialization is the only way for this country. We have to see who we are going to serve, who is the aam admi, is it the big industrialist or is it the common farmer? We do not make any funding available to the common farmer and on the other hand, the head of the country says that small land holdings are no more economical. You think about industrialization. Are we going to be a country only for services or can we envision ourselves as a country which can be the food basket for the world in the years to come? This is a very serious issue which all of us and somebody like you who represents a rural constituency, have to think about this.
Sir, like I said about the States and the Centre, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was only catering to a certain part of the school education. It was not touching the high schools or above that. It was touching only the secondary schools or below that. Earlier, you had earmarked Rs. 8,000 crore for that and today you have increased it to Rs. 10,671 crore. This is again just handling the inflationary trend. In the same breath you are saying that the States have to give 50 per cent of this share. Then, you know that you will be giving a few hundred or few thousand crores of rupees to the States and none of these States will be able to meet their 50 per cent. Therefore, you will not get the UC and that will imply that no project will get completed and your money will be kept with you. My question is this. What will the Minister do with so many crores lying in his coffers when development at the ground level actually does not take place?
On the topic of health, the Minster has mentioned two particular illnesses- one is HIV AIDS and the other is Pulse Polio programme. AIDS, as we know, has been holding the fascination of many an NGO, of all these UN-based organizations and crores of rupees are coming into this country.
I am surprised about one thing. What really excites all these foreign-funded organizations to go so heavily for AIDS? In the same light, I would say that this House must commend all those ladies and gentlemen who have been involved in the Pulse Polio Programme in this country. I think, in recent times, it has been one of those unique programmes which has been a great success where men and women involved in that programme have actually gone from house to house looking for babies which have been missed out in the formal programme. I think this has been a more detailed programme than even your census. So, we must commend that. But, at the same time, I would be very much obliged if the Minister bothers to answer why such diseases like brain malaria, leprosy, diabetes which are taking huge toll in India including tuberculosis, water-borne diseases like jaundice, gastroenteritis, hepatitis -B, Why have we not addressed these diseases? Why are we not focusing our attention on them?
In other proposals, the hon. Minister has spoken about the employment facilities for the physically-challenged.… (Interruptions)
I will make two or three points and then conclude my speech. Now I come to employment for the physically-challenged. When you expect the physically-challenged to go out of the security of their homes and start working, you expect that they will get a monthly income of Rs.25,000. You should also have one thing Whatever it is – monthly or annual income… (Interruptions)
SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: It is up to Rs.25, 000.
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY: You say it is up to Rs.25,000. All right. I am sorry. When you say that it is up to Rs.25,000, it is your prime responsibility to see that they get it. How do you expect these people to go out and actually do a service? Our railway stations, airports – our roads do not even have sidewalks – do not have a toilet for the physically-handicapped. Our stations are such that even an able-bodied man gets tired carrying his luggage from one platform to the other. Our schools and colleges, none of these institutions, address the plight of the differently-able people. Let us put it this way. That is what is PC – Here, it is not P. Chidambaram Saheb. But it is “politically correct.” So, in the current Budget, you have earmarked Rs.1008 crore to enable one lakh physically-challenged people. How will they be able to do that? That has not been dealth with.
In other proposals, you also have institutions of excellence. We are very happy that both the Agriculture Universities of Comibatore in Tamil Nadu and Pant Nagar in Uttar Pradesh have been beneficiaries of your largesse. But I would like to draw the Minister’s attention that the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology has been doing yeomen’s service in dry-land farming. But, unfortunately, it seems that Orissa does not exist in the map of this Government! Therefore, we have been completely left out.
In tax proposals, in clause 157 lies one of your worst decisions. Do you really want to make India a “preferred destination for drug testing? I want your attention on this issue. You have exempted. Clinical trials of new drugs from service tax. In the US or in Western Europe or even in countries like Thailand and Indonesia, they have banned drug testing. They are saying that if you want to test a drug, you have to tell the patient, you have to tell the family members and you have to get a form signed by the patient or any able family member saying “Yes, I agree if certain drugs are tried on this patient.”
But in India, by exempting them from service tax, you are enabling them to carry out clandestine tests. It is a matter of great concern for every right thinking person in this country. So, I would request the Finance Minister to withdraw this proposal immediately and show that this does not tally with another proposal which talks about exempting dredgers and tax concessions in infrastructure building which have been given in Section 165 and Section 133 because that smells like something where Sethu Samudram Project has crept into this Budget.
Coming to gender-sensitive budgeting, women assessees will now get a tax threshold of Rs. 1,45,000 giving them an annual benefit of about Rs. 1,000 only. Is this an encouragement? Is this genuinely gender-sensitive? Are you honestly bothered about women going out of their homes and working? If that be so, I would suggest that in today’s world Rs. Five lakh per annum is a normal salary and so you should think of women paying taxes at a threshold of Rs. Five lakh and above. Below that, it is simply a matter of hoodwinking the people.
Finally, I am very happy that the Finance Minister has named the Drinking Water Project after one of our illustrious late former Prime Ministers. My point is, just below that paragraph there is a smaller paragraph that deals with the Sanitation Project. I would just like to ask the hon. Minister one thing. Is not there anybody whom you can name this project after? If there is, then let the Finance Minister also take this step –it is in the interest of this country that healthy habits have to be taught to the people living in rural areas – and name this project after one of the illustrious figures who have led the Congress Party to power over and over again for the last 45 to 50 years.
Combined discussion on Statutory Resolution regarding disapproval of Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharati) Ordinance, 2007 (No. 4 of 2007) and Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharati) Bill, 2007
Date:08-03-2007
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY (DHENKANAL): Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity.
At the outset, I would like to say that somewhere down the line, most of our speakers lost track of what was the genuine issue that was to be discussed. There was an Ordinance promulgated by the Government to unduly favour an organization called the Prasar Bharati which is supposedly both economically and operationally an independent organization. There were days when people said that All India Radio actually signified All Indira Radio. People saw the gory days of Emergency. When there was no television, radio was controlled. There was no satellite station. But the people of India proved from Kashmir to Kanyakumari that India is one by simply taking one action and that action was to thwart the evil designs of the Congress and to remove the Congress from power. It was the people’s verdict. Unfortunately, the politicians who did benefit from the noble intentions of the people were incomplete, …*and were not able to understand the gravity of the situation when the nation favoured them.
The nation did not favour them. The nation favoured a democratic society, a socialist society. It favoured a mindset that very clearly said that the Government cannot force anything on the people. You cannot force the media to keep quiet and you cannot compel anybody to do actions that do not please them or does not adhere to the soul of India.
Sir, we all know that when we see the map of India – India has always been a changing nation – whether we see the map of Mughal India or British India or go further back to Chandra Gupta Maurya when he had his Capital in Kandahar, we know that India as we see today from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is not the real India. So, the spirit of this country is very different. Therefore, I would like to remind this House that this is not a discussion on sports or it is not centered on the development of sports in this country. This is an issue of a forcible action of this Government. I am not speaking in favour of any private company. But I would like to say that the way, the ham-handed manner in which the Government has gone about its actions on this issue smells of a totalitarian regime, it does not smell of a democratic set up.
The first thing that comes to mind is that Doordarshan did participate in the bid when the BCCI held the bid and it failed. So, taking an action under the garb of an Ordinance and now this Bill implies two things. Directly, it implies that you are twisting the arms of private players whom we have no reason to support in this House. But what does it imply? It shows the mindset of this Government. Under the garb of Aam Aadmi, you are twisting the arm of the private player and on the other hand, by forcibly doing this, you are also encouraging piracy. You speak against piracy, you speak about LPG, not Liquefied Petroleum Gas, but the other thing about which you have exponents sitting on the other side bravely announcing, Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. All this is against the interest of the Aam Aadmi. But when do you think of the Aam Aadmi? You think of the Aam Aadmi when your bureaucracy fails in delivering what it is supposed to deliver. You think of the Aam Aadmi so that you can twist the arm of a private player and give money to the bureaucracy that has failed in the Prasar Bharati, or you may read it as All India Radio and Doordarshan, to make itself an economically and operationally independent body.
You are encouraging a game like Cricket which is a game that the imperialist powers played, to make people mentally incapable of thinking, to make people physically incapable of moving. It is not a game like Hockey or Soccer or Kabaddi or even Kho-Kho. It is a game which rich, lazy people, drinking beer in the afternoon, played in their golf courses or in their cricket fields. It has nothing to do with the masses. But the Minister took pride in saying that if you go back to the intellectual property right also, it is All India Radio which promoted this game. I am not speaking about the Congress or the BJP as the Government. I am talking about the Government as a continuous process in this country.
14.00 hrs.
They are taking pride in saying that they have promoted cricket. I would say that they should have taken pride in saying that when the whole world was going one way, they opted to be international in the sense that they promoted rugby, they promoted soccer or football, they promoted hockey, they promoted kabadi. They have not done any of that. They have not bothered to do any of that.
Sir, I watch Doordarshan because in my constituency only limited urban areas get satellite TV. In the rural areas, we watch Doordarshan. I am amazed to see the low class of programmes that Doordarshan shows. I am really surprised to know that no thinking, no intellectually able person – I am not saying shining, I am saying able person – who has not bound up the mind with pre-set notions can produce such immeasurably, inconceivably boring programmes.
Kudos to Doordarshan, kudos to All India Radio that no thinking goes in to their programming. So, what are they trying to do? They want to propagate their Government’s fallacious programmes. They want to promote and tell people that things like SEZs are good for them. They want to tell our farmers that farming is not the answer for their future because they have small land holdings. They do not want to make them more efficient and more able to produce more from those small plots of lands, rather they are saying, ‘give away your agricultural land to the rich’, to the foreign companies, to the SEZs and enable them and make them stronger and may you perish for ever. This is their aam adami.
Sir, I would like to raise one more issue which is an impossible thing and as Gandhiji said, “Truth is the highest religion”. Sir, I am surprised to note that this Government does not believe in the person who created that Party. Of course, it is a fact that before he died, Gandhiji also realised his folly and said, “disband the Congress”. It does not hold good for the Congress any more.
I would like to ask the hon. Minister, does Prasar Bharti really think that if it gets 25 per cent of the commercial revenue from the live telecast of the cricket matches they will really be able to take out that 25 per cent or whatever ‘X’ amount out of the coffers of Prasar Bharati which is a shrinking organization and use it for promotion of sports of rural areas where there is no electricity to watch television, where people do not get water, where you cannot provide our young with playing fields. What kind of rubbish is being dished out in this House?
SHRI MADHUSUDAN MISTRY (SABARKANTHA): This is the responsibility of his State Government… (Interruptions)
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY : This is not their Government or our Government. The Government is a continuous process. He does not know how this country runs. The country does not run with them or these people. The country runs with a few bureaucrats and these bureaucrats twist the arms, no matter who is in power. They are twisting the arms now. They are saying that such a big apple is just hanging in front of us, but we are not getting a portion of that. Therefore, we can force this Government to have an Ordinance and we can compel them to pass a law.
I am …* to be a part of it because I know that this will be passed. All of us are aware of it. They will be a party to it also. We are … (Not recorded) and we should be sad that we are a party to this type of an activity which tells again to the people of this country that this Government is trying something which they had rejected in 1977.
I strongly condemn this Bill and I wish the House will vote against it. Thank you Sir.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: I have an announcement to make. Unparliamentary words used by Shri Satpathy, will be deleted.
SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY : Sir, …. is not an unparliamentary word.