Manmohan Singh: Job situation still grim, DeMo to blame

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 2

Attacking the Centre, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said unemployment was high in the country and its informal sector was in a shambles following the “ill-conceived demonetisation decision” taken by the BJP government in 2016.

He also criticised the Union Government for not holding regular consultations with the states. “Federalism and regular consultation with states, which was the cornerstone of India’s economic and political philosophy as enshrined in the Constitution, no longer found favour with the Union Government,” he said. Inaugurating a development summit organised by Congress-aligned Kerala think-tank, the former Prime Minister said temporary measures by the Centre and the RBI to paper over the credit problem “could not blind people to the looming credit crisis ahead that could affect the small and medium sector”.

In Kerala’s context, he said, “There are many roadblocks ahead that the state has to overcome. The global downturn of the last two or three years, aggravated by the pandemic, has made the global interface of Kerala more fragile.” — PTI