NEW DELHI, Feb 21:
President Pranab Mukherjee today said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East has shown a perceptible improvement.
“The number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir has increased from 8.99 lakh in 2011 to 12.37 lakh in 2012. Compared with 2011, the number of fatalities in incidents of terrorist violence in 2012 declined by nearly half,” Mr Mukherjee said addressing the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session.
The President said the Government has accorded high priority to border management.
“In addition to the work of border fencing, roads and floodlighting along the borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, Government has decided to undertake the construction of 509 additional border outposts along the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pakistan border. The Integrated Check Post at Attari was operationalised in April 2012,” he said.
Mr Mukherjee said some part of the country witnessed communal incidents. In July 2012, violence took place in some districts of Assam in which about 100 persons were killed.
“In order to control the violence,adequate Army and para-military forces were deployed. The State Government set up relief camps and provided basic amenities to the affected people,” the President said.
He added that the Centre announced a package of Rs 300 crore for relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Mr Mukherjee said the government was determined to thwart any attempt at disturbing the communal peace and harmony.
“Incidents of Left wing extremist violence have shown a declining trend. The number of deaths in Naxal violence declined from 611 in 2011 to 414 in 2012,” he said.
The President maintained that the Centre was committed to dealing with Left wing extremism in a comprehensive manner.
He said the Congress-led UPA Government has taken several steps to tackle Naxal violence.
“…A new scheme for construction and strengthening of 400 police stations have been started in the affected areas. The first phase of the plan for improving road connectivity in 34 most affected districts at a cost of Rs 7,300 crore is likely to be completed by March 2015,” the President added.
Mukherjee called upon Pakistan not to do anything that could deepen the trust deficit between the two countries.
With memories of recent unfortunate incidents at LoC still fresh, the President sought to underline that India was committed to taking forward the procress of normalisation of relations with Pakitsan, but wanted reciprocity from the other side too.
“It is also important that Pakistan abides by its commitments and desists from acts that contribute to the trust deficit,” he said.
The process of normalisation of relations had received a setback last month when Pakistani troops violated ceasfire at LoC and brutalised the bodies of two soldiers killed in the firing.
Mr Mukherjee said that India attached highest importance to the relations with its immediate neighbours.
He pointed that with Pakitsan, there had been progress in strengthening mechanisms for bilateral trade and facilitating greater people to people to contact, and expressed the country’s commitment to work further to reduce the trust deficit, expecting the same from the neighbour.
Mukherjee dropped hints of hard decisions in the coming days in the wake of difficult economic situation and steps required to accelerate growth.
Expressing concern over the persisting difficult economic conditions, Mr Mukherjee, a former Finance Minister,noticed that the Government was taking steps to revive growth and indicated that some hard decisions might have to be taken to put the economy back on rails.
Mr Mukherjee’s observations at the joint sitting of the Parliament on the opening day of the budget session virtually gave indications of harder measures in the coming budget, though it is likely be the last budget of the UPA-11 as general elections are due in early 2014.
Mr Mukherjee observed that the past year has been a difficult one for the economy.
“Europe is in recession, while market economies’ growth is slowing down. There is a need to address the impact of growth hurdles,”the President said.
The 12th plan, he pointed out, had indicated that growth would depend on the extent to which the Government was able to take difficult decisions.
Noting that the real GDP grew only by 5.4 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal, Mr Mukherjee said the Government was taking steps to deal with factors responsible for the slowdown.
While stating that inflation was easing slowly, he recognised that it was still a problem.
The President also said because of the steps taken by the Government, there has been moderation in core inflation and recovery in growth was likely.
He said a target had been set for containing the current year’s fiscal deficit at 5.3 per cent of the GDP.
Touching on the issue of corruption amid growing clamour on various scams, Mr Mukherjee said the Central Government was committed to greater transparency, probity, integrity and accountability in governance.
With memories of the brutal gangrape of a girl in Delhi still fresh, the President stressed the commitment of improving the safety and security of women in the country.
The President said the Government has taken several measures to revive investor confidence.
“One significant step has been the rollout of direct cash transfer scheme which will complement subsidy schemes,” the President said, adding the scheme will help cut down leakages and assist beneficiaries.
The President said several measures have been taken by the Government to tackle the menace of corruption.
“Government attaches priority to the enactment of legislation proposed in the Whistle Blowers’ Protection Bill, the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill, Citizens’ Right to Grievance Redress Bill, and the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, which already stand introduced in Parliament,” the President said.
He added that the Government was also considering amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act to punish the guilty and protect the honest public servants more effectively.
The President said the Government was committed to take steps to improve the safety and security of women and children.
“The Government has taken a series of measures to improve safety and security of women in the country,” the President said.
He said Government has begun to implement a series of administrative measures to improve safety and security of women in the country.
The President said after considering the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma committee, the Government has promulgated an ordinance, amending the criminal law to provide for stringent punishment for heinous sexual offences against women.
The President said to ensure a safe and secure environment for women in work places, the Government introduced the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2012 in Parliament.
“The Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha,”the President said.
He said the National Mission for the Empowerment of women will implement a pilot project in public hospitals in 100 districts, called ‘One Stop Crisis Centre’, a specialised facility for providing all necessary services for women subjected to violence . (UNI)
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