Number of other issues were raised. The issue about MRP which Shri George Fernandes raised; naming programmes after Indiraji, Nehruji and all. I do not think we should answer all that. The programmes have been named from time to time. The only programme that we have named is Kasturba Shiksha Yojana. Is anybody opposing the Shiksha Yojana for ladies being named after Kasturba Gandhi? I do not see why it is. She is not a politician in that sense. She is clearly one of the most venerated women of India. We have named it in order to make it alleviate, to inspire young girls to join the programme in areas of rural literacy. I think, we have rightly named it after Kasturba Gandhi.
And Ganga Kalyan Yojana. What is wrong with Ganga Kalyan Yojana, tell me? Ganga is not after any political leader. Ganga has blessed this land; fertilized this land; and has blessed this people over the centuries. What is wrong in naming a water project after Ganga Kalyan. I think what we have done is perfectly correct.
In other matters, I will respond individually to Members. But, I have great belief, great faith that this country will grow. .. (Interruptions)
AN HON. MEMBER: On handloom, khadi. ... (Interruptions)
SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: I beg your pardon. ... (Interruptions) Those will come into when I deal with the Finance Bill. ... (Interruptions) I will deal with it later, not today. I have already taken an hour. ... (Interruptions)
SHRI A.C. JOS (IDUKKI): What about employment generation. ... (Interruptions)
SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: There are other opportunities where I will respond.
I want to end with this move. ... (Interruptions) No, please don't raise it. It is not the right time.
I firmly believe that this country can grow. This country can prosper. What is holding back this country is, of course, infrastructure constraint, which is constraining one or two per cent growth. Otherwise, we should aim at nine per cent. We will invest in infrastructure. What is also holding back this country is lack of faith in ourselves. We must look upon ourselves the way the Indonesians look upon themselves, the Chinese look upon themselves. They will look upon themselves with great degree of confidence. Where in the world do you have human resources of this quality? Where in the world that you have a land and water and sun shine blessed country? We can grow. Countries which are smaller than India, which were poorer than India have outdistanced India. Twenty years ago, Shri George Fernandes was a Minister and I, as one who had just started my practice in law admired his scarlet pimpernel act.
But that was a generation which believed in an ideology and I do not blame them. We were geared in that ideology.
Times have changed today. Today the only reason that matters is pragmatism. The only hard truth is development. We must become pragmatic, development-oriented and we must do all that is possible to attain high growth. High growth will lead us to prosperity in the long run. I am confident about my country. I am confident that within my lifetime, within the lifetime of most people here, we will abolish poverty, the abject poverty, as we have known it for 5,000 years. We may not become a rich country like Switzerland or Japan or we may not have that kind of income but the abject poverty, the kind of poverty that sends the children to dustbins, the kind of poverty which sends our women before dawn and after dusk to answer calls of nature, that kind of poverty will be abolished if we grow at eight per cent or nine per cent. I am confident that this Budget has laid a foundation for that kind of growth and I ask you to support it.
Thank you.
MR. CHAIRMAN (COL. RAO RAM SINGH): I shall now put the Demands for Grants on Account (General) for 1997-98 to vote.
The question is:
"That the respective sums not exceeding the amounts on Revenue Account and Capital Account shown in the third column of the Order Paper be granted to the President out of the Consolidated Fund of India, on account, for or towards defraying the charges during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1998 in respect of the heads of Demands entered in the second column thereof against Demand Nos. 1 to 26, 28, 29, 31 to 60, 62 to 92, 94, 95 and 97 to 102."
The motion was adopted.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I shall now put the Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 1996-97 to vote.
The question is:
"That the respective supplementary sums not exceeding the amounts on Revenue Account and Capital Account shown in the third column of the Order Paper be granted to the President out of the Consolidated Fund of India to defray the charges that will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st day of March, 1997 in respect of the following demands entered in the second column thereof -- Demand Nos. 3 to 9, 12 to 20, 22 to 24, 26, 28, 32 to 37, 39 to 50, 52 to 58, 62, 65 to 68, 70 to 72, 75, 77 to 83, 85, 87, 88, 91, 93, 96 to 101."
The motion was adopted.
MR. CHAIRMAN: I shall now put the Demands for Excess Grants (General) for 1994-95 to vote.
The question is:
"That the respective excess sums not exceeding the amounts shown in the third column of the Order Paper be granted to the President out of the Consolidated Fund of India to make good the excess on the respective grants during the year ended 31st day of March, 1995 in respect of the following demands entered in the second column thereof -- Demand Nos. 14, 17, 19, 24, 64, 77, 90 and 98."
The motion was adopted.