National executive committee meet: BJP passes resolution, hails govt’s measures to stabilise economy

At the meeting of the BJP national executive committee in Hyderabad on Saturday, an economic resolution acknowledged the government’s ‘gareeb kalyan sankalp’ or the resolve to empower the poor, said Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday appreciated the steps taken by the Union government to stabilise growth and economy in the wake of global disruptions and hailed the new recruitment policy for the armed forces, Agnipath.

BJP national president JP Nadda addresses the BJP's National Executive meeting, in Hyderabad. (PTI)

At the meeting of the BJP national executive committee in Hyderabad on Saturday, an economic resolution acknowledged the government’s ‘gareeb kalyan sankalp’ or the resolve to empower the poor, said Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The resolution was moved by defence minister Rajnath Singh and seconded by Union minister Piyush Goyal and Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Pradhan added.

While the Opposition has been critical about the government’s economic policies, blaming them for a decline in the growth rate as well as employment avenues in the country, Pradhan said the Centre has already promised government sector jobs.

“In the coming years we will create 10 lakh (1 million) jobs in the government sector… Agnipath has been appreciated. Implementation of the Gati Shakti will also help create jobs. Exports are also going up in the global services sector and the metal sector,” Pradhan told reporters.

He refuted the opposition’s claims on economic policies, saying that in the last Union Budget the highest-ever allocation for public spending was announced and the government made the highest-ever capital spending during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Union government claims the Agnipath scheme will help modernise the armed forces, but the Opposition has accused the government of bringing down avenues for employment. There have been widespread protests across the country opposing the scheme that was announced on June 14.

Pradhan further said that even though the Covid-19 pandemic set off a global economic crisis, India has managed to take care of the poor and the marginalised through a slew of social welfare schemes. He added that the government’s work in the past eight years has emerged as a “global model”.

Responding to a question about inflation and the weakening of the rupee against the US dollar, Pradhan said there has been unprecedented crisis across the world and not limited to India alone. Even developed countries have had to suffer a setback to their economy owing to the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, he added.

“The pandemic disrupted the entire world, with global commodity prices sky-rocketing,” said the minister.

The BJP government has also had to work around challenges that it inherited in 2014 when it came to power at the Centre. “There is a reformist and decisive government; we should not forget the legacy we inherited in 2014. We went from policy paralysis to double digit growth. This has happened because of people’s confidence (in the Modi government),” Pradhan said.

He added that the country’s financial condition is encouraging despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic; the exports have gone up, FDI has increased and many decisions have been taken from GST to PLI that have made India the sixth robust economy.