NEW DELHI: The thrust of the National Front government would be to follow a policy of national reconciliation on important national issues, Prime Minister VP Singh said in the parliament, PTI reports.
Replying to a discussion on the motion of thanks on the President joint address to the two houses in Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister said the government would seek cooperation of all political parties ‘on important national matters.
Singh described his government as a “government of action” and said its goals were being implemented speedily.
He mentioned the introduction of the Lok Pal Bill and the Prasar Bharti, (Broadcasting Corporation of India) bill to give autonomy to television and radio.
The Prime Minister said the new government would follow value and issue based politics rather than personalized politics.
Singh said another area where he hoped there would be national consensus was electoral reforms so as to free the process of elections of money and muscle power.
When Congress I leader, NKP Salve wanted to know if the government would endeavor to prevent exploitation of religious sentiments by political parties for electoral gains, Singh said law already existed in this regard and “we would adhere to it.”
Pressed for a definite view of the government on this, Singh said religious feeling should not be exploited and hoped there was consensus on it,
He said working class in rural areas had been exploited. One of the reasons was that land reforms had not been fully implemented because of the existing legal procedures.
One of the commitments of the government was to give “speedy remedy” to poor and that the government would endeavor to bring land reforms under ninth schedule of the constitution. “I hope there will be consensus on it,” he added.
Singh said the national integration council would be reconstituted and its first meeting would be held within a month to “tackle various problems before us.”
He said many industrial bills had been passed earlier but the feedback on them indicated the need for review of some of the provisions of the bills,
The prime minister said government wanted to strengthen the planning commission to make it function more effectively.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 5, 1990
