72nd Independence Day: Modi criticised UPA for policy paralysis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised the previous UPA government over policies. Modi boasts about his achievements to launch GST and MSP. Earlier, Narendra Modi and BJP led NDA criticised and condemned the GST bill when Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government presented it. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced and implemented the GST with certain changes in it. Also, like Manmohan Singh, Narendra Modi announces ‘highest ever’ MSP for farmers in election year. Next Lok Sabha election is set to happen in 2019. Regarding MSP, the government mainly supports farmers by federally fixing minimum support prices (MSPs) for 24 crops apart from providing insurance, power and fertiliser subsidies. It then buys mainly wheat and rice at the MSP for distribution among the poor at a fraction of the buying price, which is estimated to cost Rs 1.69 lakh crore in 2018-19. Economists, including those affiliated to the government, are now debating if MSPs can adequately support farm incomes in the long run.