What does a 7.8% GDP growth rate mean to a family still struggling with poverty, unemployment and rising prices? BSP chief Mayawati has posed that question amid a debate over the government’s first-quarter growth figures, saying economic growth must be measured by its impact on ordinary people.
In a post on X on Friday, Mayawati said the reported growth would be welcome if the figures were accurate, but warned that any manipulation of data would be a matter of concern. She called on the government to explain clearly what the high growth rate has delivered for the country’s poor and working people and what they can expect in the future.
Mayawati said development figures could not be viewed in isolation from conditions on the ground. Growth, she argued, matters only when it leads to tangible improvements in people’s lives, including greater prosperity and more equitable opportunities.
GDP figures have their place, she said, but the real test of development is whether ordinary Indians can actually feel its benefits. Otherwise, she warned, India could remain a “poor populace under a wealthy government”.
She said the country’s development would translate into “good days” only when its working people could lead modestly secure lives, free from poverty, unemployment and corruption, and with a sense of dignity.
{{/usCountry}}She said the country’s development would translate into “good days” only when its working people could lead modestly secure lives, free from poverty, unemployment and corruption, and with a sense of dignity.
{{/usCountry}}Turning to Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati also criticised the state government’s decision to double the remuneration of outsourced employees and establish the UP Outsourcing Services Corporation, which is expected to provide security cover to around 20 lakh people. She said the government would do better by providing direct government jobs instead, arguing that this would protect workers from bureaucratic discretion, corruption and exploitation.