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'NDA has done more for dalits than any other govt'

Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 29, 2016
URL:   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NDA-has-done-more-for-dalits-than-any-other-govt/articleshow/52486510.cms

Food and consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the prominent dalit faces in the Modi Cabinet, says this government has done the most for SCST, poor and youth. He said the PM's call for ministers to be more active on social media is transforming their working styles. Excerpts of his interview with Dipak Kumar Dash

How do you look at the performance of government?

This is a pro-poor, pro-SCST, pro-farmer and pro-labourer government. The focus has been on giving power to the poor. Prime Minister himself is from a poor family and he has seen poverty from close quarters. All schemes including Jan Dhan Yojna, PM Bima Yojna, and Ujjwala (free gas cylinder for poor) are for the marginalised people. We are providing Rs 1.30 lakh crore subsidy for food grains. State governments hardly share any cost towards this. We have not increased prices in the past two years.

PM told the council of ministers to focus more on implementation of schemes at the last meeting. Are you all geared up for this?

Honestly speaking, I don't find any sector that has remained untouched by this government in past two years. Everyone is putting in their best effort. When PM works for 20 hours, all MPs and ministers get motivation to work more.

Your party is a small partner in NDA. Have you ever felt like this?

I have never felt that I represent a smaller party. PM has given more respect to the allies. All the ministers from ally parties are going to differ ent parts for publicity of government achievements. PM takes meeting of NDA and not just of BJP MPs.

Govt is talking about development while Congress is criticising that nothing has happened. Your take...

What else can they do? It's for people to judge. The recent poll results in Assam was historic. It's the gateway to the North-East. Formation of NDA government in Jammu and Kashmir is not a small thing despite the state having a majority from minority community . The PM has never digressed from his agenda of promoting youth, development and power to the poor.

In developed countries, consumer affairs departments play a big role.But in our case the department can't enforce norms, but faces criticism ...

We can only make policies and have necessary steps taken. We brought a new BIS Act for better enforcement of product standards and the consumer protection bill will be passed with stronger provisions to safeguard consumer rights, quick processing of cases and deterrent provision for misleading advertisements. We are planning a directorate for legal metrology, which deals with issues of weight and measures. I have suggested that we must have at least one certified weighing machine in every panchayat bhawan where people can get the weight of commodities verified.

Food department has pursued several reforms, which will have huge impact in the next one-two years. But rising prices of pulses has remained a concern.

We have achieved 100% digitisation of ration cards, Aadhaar seeding in ration cards is 53%. We are transferring cash to the accounts of over two lakh beneficiary families under food security scheme in three UTs. Electronic point of sale is progressing fast to eliminate leakage of subsidised food grain.

Problems relating to pulses is because of the short supply . We had procured 50,000 tonnes during Rabi season and have already procured another 40,000 tonnes during the current Kharif season. We are importing nearly 30,000 tonnes. States have been asked to take pulses from us and sell them at prices fixed by us.

What about the sugar sector?

When we came to power the cane arrears was Rs 14,000 crore. Because of our initiatives, the arrears of 2014-15 sugar season has reduced to about Rs 780 crore. Out of this UP accounts for just Rs 191 crore. For the current sugar season, the arrears are only about Rs 9,361 crore compared to arrears of Rs 22,000 crore last year. Out of this UP accounts for Rs 2,855 crore.

Now you are all using twitter to make announcements. How has life changed?

It's helped a lot. You keep track of everything happening across ministries and get almost real-time update of PM's activities and his views. What PM says is actually the government's thought and this helps. People are using social media extensively and we all need to catch up.
 
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