The BJP and Cong parties are known as arch-rivals and who don't agree with each other on any one single point made a truce for a moment at an interactive session organised by FTCCI and agreed on MCC--The Model Code of Conduct. The BJP representative Smt Karuna Gopal and Congress I representative Shyam Mohan Anantula agreed that we need a Moral Code of Conduct and not a Model Code of Conduct.
The two political parties’ representatives were the panellists at an interactive session on "Economy, Industry & Reforms" organised by the 107-year-old Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI), an industry trade body.
The two representatives along with Ponnala Lakshmaiah of BRS Party were in conversation with Sriram Karri, Resident Editor of Deccan Chronicle at Federation House in Red Hills in the city on Monday evening.
Though the MCC has evolved with the consensus of political parties and helps to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections, the implementation of the same is a herculean task. Instead, if it is focused on the Moral Code of Conduct and accordingly parties and candidates' conduct it will be much better to observed Shyam Mohan and Karuna Gopal nodding her head as a sign of agreement. Sriram Karri, the moderator happily highlighted the same while the 200-plus audience assembled in the FTCCI Surana Auditorium clapped.
The interactive session was organised against the backdrop of the forthcoming general elections. I don't remember FTCCI organising such debates in the past except for a couple of times several years before, said Meela Jayadev, President of FTCCI giving his opening remarks. It is not a political interaction. Please refrain from debating political issues and asking political questions, he urged three panellists and the audience.
It is a purely trade, commerce, business, reforms and economy-related interaction. I request you to confine to the same and make it a meaningful and fruitful interaction for the industry, he requested.
It has become increasingly difficult to set up an industry as the land prices are skyrocketing. Land prices must be affordable so that more will set up industries and generate employment. We need to set up more agriculture-related industries. Industries must come up in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and smaller towns. So that it will arrest migration to urban cities. The focus must be all round development, he said and urged panellists again to focus on industry and trade related matters during their interaction.
Srinivas Garimella, Chairman of the Industrial Development Committee said India has been in the news both locally and globally. India is a new icon for growth. We need a blueprint for our future development if we need to become a global economic power. How do we get there? What do political parties have to say on the same? The contribution of manufacturing sector to the Indian GDP is 16.5% and sadly it stagnates between 13.5% to 16.7%. If India has to become a global economic power, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to our GDP must go up to 25%, if not to the China's level of 37%. If we need to boost up manufacturing sector we also need to focus on skilling, upskilling and re-skilling. We want our panellists to focus on these and many related issues.
The moderator, Sriram Karri compared the relationship between the Government and Economy with the relationship of a man and his neighbour's wife. They should know each other and stop there. It is called Laissez-faire, which is a policy of minimum governmental interference in the economic affairs of individuals and society. Then he took two of the three panellists who were born before the Indian Independence and asked how India has been faring. The representatives replied in their style without answering straight to the question. But, their version summarised that we had a glorious past and doing well now.
When asked to comment on three successful policies of the past of each of the three political parties representing in the interaction, Ponnala said managing more investments into the state(with over 28000 companies setting up shops during their tenure), TSiPass(which stands for Telangana State Building Permission Approval and Self-Certification System, an online portal introduced by the BRS government of Telangana to streamline and simplify the process of obtaining building approvals) and poverty alleviation schemes.
Karuna Gopal listed out Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India); Physical and soft infrastructure development (such as building roads, bringing out policy frameworks etc) and GST.
The Congress representative highlighted the three major policies of his party as setting up Public Sector Undertakings (industrialisation), Jai Jawan Jai Kisan (Hail the farmer, hail the soldier). and India the tiger uncaged--the reforms of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.
The three representatives also highlighted three important points in their respective parties' manifestos. Shaym Mohan spoke about 'Paanch Nyay' or the five pillars of justice in the Congress manifesto including the 'Yuva Nyay', 'Naari Nyay', 'Kisaan Nyay', 'Shramik Nyay' and 'Hissedari Nyay', quality education, job creation and skill development.
Karuna Gopal highlighted Suraksha Bharath, the fortification of our borders against the backdrop of war like situation with India's neighbours; Rebuilding the cultural fabric of India, which was lost in the past and building the intellectual capital of India
The Ponnala Lakshmaian said wealth creation among others.
The representatives also answered several questions asked by the audience.
The interactive session was attended by two Vice Presidents of FTCCI and many industrialists and trade bodies.
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