It is business as usual

I had predicted on April 19, 2009 that irrespective of whoever wins the election, it will be business as usual. Your and my life will not change for the better. However, it can change for the worse.

Till date have we seen any action by the government that will change your life? Well let me just comment on a few. First, we have Sibalji wanting to change the system by eliminating board exams for the 10th class. Now can you tell me if this should have been the priority of the government. First, we need more schools. Second, we need the government schools to work. For instance, we need the teachers to teach in government schools. The government should realize that the aam admi sends their children to government schools. At this point of time, whether we have board exams for 10th class or not is irrelevant.

I believe the government is going after the land acquisition act very seriously and will table the same inspite of Mamta Banerjee’s objections. Now why is this act so important? Is it that the aam admi is suffering because there is no land acquisition act. Is it that we do not get water because there is no land acquisition act? Is it that our drains clog up and we have to suffers in traffic jams because we do not have a land acuisition act? The land acuisition act is to assist big businesses to acquire land easily. I don’t think this is the need of the hour. Businesses do need to acquire land but I am not sure that the government should make it their priority. Businesses have been able to survive and open factories without government help since times immemorial. In any case, government is offering industrial areas for businesses to start their business. SEZs have turned out to be non-starters. Also, SEZs are a bad idea as the bottlenecks will remain.

Of course, a proper land acquisition policy is necessary for the government when it wants to acquire land for infrastructure projects. It should have special courts with powers to decide quickly all matters related to infrastructure development projects for the public good like roads, highways, dams, airports etc.

Minister Raja of the over Rs. 50,000 crore telecom scam is back as telecom minister. He is still not able to answer why telecom licenses were given away so cheaply. Irt seems that Congress is working for the aam admi as their definition of aam admi includes Chandras of the Unitech.

So till now its been business as usual and will remain so as predicted by me. If you ask me, it does not matter whether Congress is in power or BJP, it will always be business as usual. The common man in India is doomed.

Avinash Narula