SANTINIKETAN: Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao said the country would go for extended funding facilities for a further stalment of loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The economic situation was better how he said and hoped the NRIs would not be so hesitant to invest now.

The Prime Minister told reporters that the country would have to lighten the belt and stop wasteful expenditure before there was fur the liberalization of the economy. Efforts would have to be made to see that the price line did not go out of hand he added.

Asked to comment on the Army chief Gen. Rodrigues controversial statement regarding the Army’s role in maintenance of internal law and order the Prime Minister said it was well known that the Army should not be involved too much in maintenance of internal security. He hastened to add however that the Army should be called in whenever necessary.

Describing the LTTE’s activities in Tamil Naduas illicit the Prime Minister said the government was keeping a watch over its activities. The Center was in touch with the chief minister Javalaltha in this regard he added.

Earlier addressing the convocation at Viswa Bharati the Prime Minister said the old blocs had disappeared yet no one could claim that the world was without blocs of any kind now. Unipolarity did not spell equality Confrontation had abated but cooperation was nowhere in sight he added.

“The convocation was held at Viswa Bharati after a gap of three years The Prime Minister was accompanied by the governor Prof. S. Narul Hasan the Union ministers of state Ajit Panja. Rao said the complex transitional situation now imposed different risks on people and the burden of thinking had to be shouldered by pioneering institutions like the Viswa Bharati. The country would have troubled the spirit and man date given by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and continue the process of stabilizing the faltering steps towards a new human destiny: he added.

Referring to the country’s problems Rao said the social pyramid was very high and the gap between the top and the wide. The layers were too imperious to allow anything tickle down. “Weave reach the base and quickly too or else the top will blow up.” Rao said, He felt that only a composite macro-cummicro approach would help achieve a total transformation.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 3, 1992