New Delhi: Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia form the Prime Minister’s dream team that has given the country eight per cent growth.
This team’s task is to push for economic reforms, but their work is being increasingly difficult. This can be gauged from this statement of Montek: "There is consensus on some issues; there is no consensus on some. The idea is to push as many measures as possible."
Differences within the Congress mean that Montek and Chidambaram are often under attack from the Government’s own allies, especially the Left. Many reforms planned by Montek, Chidambaram and the Prime Minister have not moved ahead.
But despite the criticism the team is trying to maintain the current levels of growth. "We won’t get the necessary growth just by going over old ideas," says Montek.
In its report card on the two years of UPA rule, the Left flayed Montek and called the Planning Commission "a hub of initiation and pursuit of neo-liberal policies that go against the National Common Minimum Programme.
Montek rejects the allegations. "I am not a neo-liberal," he says.
Chidambaram has been criticised for doing away with the long term capital gains tax, and the Left feels he is not doing enough for agriculture or spending enough money on the social sectors like health and education.
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