Austerity is a need, not tokenism, says Mukherjee
October 30th, 2009 - 5:54 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday defended the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s austerity measures, saying those were a “need” to curtail expenditure and were not mere tokenism.
Mukherjee, who was in the midst of a controversy last month over austerity measures initiated by his ministry, said the decision on the austerity drive was taken before he was appointed the finance minister.
“It is not being Gandhian or this or that. Whatever I have done in the name of austerity was initiated even before I took over as finance minister,” he said here while addressing delegates at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, an annual conference that organisers say seeks to push discussions on pressing issues.
When delegates asked him whether the austerity move was a “token gesture”, Mukherjee said: “When the country’s trade was going at the reverse direction, you can’t look at austerity measures as mere tokenism. Austerity is a need.”
The UPA government last month advised its ministers to fly in economy class and not hold meetings in five-star hotels, and also imposed a 10-percent cut in non-plan expenditure.
“To what extend I will be able to succeed or not depends on the cooperation of the system,” Mukherjee said about the implementation of the austerity drive.
- Mukherjee seeks out allies, opposition for economy - Mar 24, 2012
- Why the austerity 'drama', other parties ask Congress - Sep 15, 2009
- Need to define public expenditure: Mukherjee - Feb 28, 2011
- Austerity measures not to compromise security: Mukherjee - Sep 19, 2009
- Now, Sonia Gandhi travels economy class - Sep 14, 2009
- No new cars, business class travel for Haryana officials - Jun 09, 2011
- Crucial for us to pursue reforms in financial sector: Pranab Mukherjee - Nov 03, 2009
- Funds for computerising courts doubled - Mar 16, 2012
- Austerity drive: No caviar, or costly biscuits on Air India One - Sep 23, 2009
- Thousands join Ramdev's fast, Congress calls it 'five-star satyagraha' (Evening Lead) - Jun 04, 2011
- Dhumal walking towards austerity - Jul 15, 2010
- In competitive austerity, Krishna too opts for economy class - Sep 13, 2009
- Austerity catches up, Krishna, Tharoor move out of luxury hotels (Roundup) - Sep 08, 2009
- Gandhians in Ahmedabad laud government's austerity drive - Sep 18, 2009
- Jharkhand budget leakage being probed: Mukherjee - Aug 27, 2010
Tags: austerity drive, austerity measures, controversy, cooperation, delegates, economy class, finance minister, five star hotels, gandhian, hindustan times, implementation, leadership summit, midst, New Delhi, oct 30, plan expenditure, pranab mukherjee, progressive alliance, token gesture, UPA