KPCC condolence meet
Credit: X/@DKShivakumar
Belagavi: KPCC condoled the demise of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and recalled his contributions to the country in different capacities and recognised economic measures taken by him which have led to the country’s economic progress, here on Friday. It was also announced that Dr Manmohan Singh Economic Policy Research Centre will be established at Bangalore University.
The pandal which had been installed to for the Gandhi Bharat programme to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress Session held here in 1924 and launch ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, and Jai Sanvidhan’ was utilised for the condolence meeting, with the event being canceled in the wake of the demise of former prime minister. Congress party workers and leaders who had arrived for the rally participated in the condolence meeting.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Dr Singh was a soft-spoken but straightforward person who gave justice to the posts of an economist, governor of Reserve Bank of India , finance minister, and prime minister. Liberalisation and privatisation policies were introduced by him as finance minister in P V Narasimharao's cabinet, till then the Indian economy was not open to the world.
Dr Singh implemented directive principles of the constitution by making right to work, right to food, right to education, and right to information acts available to the people. Until then they were not fundamental rights. Coming from a poor family, the former prime minister worked for the upliftment of poor and the downtrodden classes, he said.
'During the tenure of our previous government from 2013 to 2018, we invited Dr Singh in 2017 for the inauguration of the Ambedkar School of Economics and also for a meeting for the state’s economy. Then Dr Singh had termed that the state’s economy was strong and it was robust economy, he expressed.
In his capacity as an economist, Dr Singh did not only solve the economic problems of the country but also came to the aid of different countries. He was a down to earth and humble person and used to say that the people and media would recall his contributions after his death, Siddaramaiah stated.
Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D K Shivakumar said, "we had made grand preparations for the Gandhi Bharat programme to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress Session here in 1924 and wanted AICC former president Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh to join the extended Congress Working Committee through zoom, but were informed that the former prime minister had been admitted to hospital for health issues and later in the night he passed away. We have canceled all programme's scheduled and the pandal installed for the rally was being used for condolence meeting, which was unfortunate."
Dr Singh designed programmes that benefitted the people. Farmers getting increased compensation for lands acquired for projects was due to the policies implemented during the tenure of Dr Singh, forest dwellers were given constitutional rights, and MGNREGS norms were modified to ensure that those working in their own lands and construction of houses get labour. Corporate social responsibility law too was implemented by him, he said.
Dr Manmohan Singh Economic Policy Research Centre will be established at Bangalore University by the Higher Education Department, he announced.
Former chief minister Veerappa Moily said that during Dr Singh’s tenure, GDP had grown to 7.7 per cent and later up to 11 per cent due to his economic policies. To eradicate corruption, the Lokpal Act was implemented. Irrigation Bonds were introduced by Dr Singh for the completion of Almatti Dam whose foundation stone had been laid by Lal Bahadur Shashtri in 1966.
Tourism Minister H K Patil said that Dr Singh was a foresighted person and during his tenure middle-class families in the country which were 18 crore increased to 36 crore. He led the poor country into a progressive country.