BJP president Mr. Kushabhau Thakre has reminded us that subsidy is not helpful for healthy economy of the country. According to him some harsh decisions like drastic cut in subsidy is essential to correct the distortions in the economy. He was speaking in the national executive committee meeting of BJP with reference to the rise in prices of foodgrains in the public distribution system, cooking gas and kerosene. It is to be noted that all these items are essential for poor and middle class people of the country.
In the same meeting minister for Petroleum Mr. Ram Nayek also told that subsidy on cooking gas and kerosene is not possible. Finance Minister Mr. Yashabant Sinha told that withdrawal of subsidies is a continuous programme of the NDA Government and to stimulate the economy of the country, subsidies will be withdrawn successively.
While withdrawing subsidy of the items essential for poor and middle class people, the same government has provided subsidy of billions of rupees to the cell phone service providers in the form of withdrawal of licence fees. Subsidy has been provided to importers in the form of reduction or withdrawal of customs duty on items, which are not consumed by the poorer sections in our country. The NDA Government has not taken any step to recover the unpaid amount of Rupees 3439.9 billion loan of public sector banks taken by big industrialists of the country.
It is clear from the above that, according to BJP only the poorer sections of the people are to sacrifice and the richest sections at the top need to receive subsidy to stimulate the economy of the country.

17th April, 2000.