‘Too much democracy’ in India makes reforms difficult, says Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog

File image of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. PTI

According to a PTI According to the report, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant had said at a virtual event on Tuesday that it was difficult to carry out tough reforms in India as there was “too much democracy” in the country.

“Hard reforms are very difficult in the Indian context, we have too much democracy … Political will was needed to carry out these reforms (mining, coal, labor, agriculture) and there is still much more to do”, Kant. was quoted as saying by PTI.

However, the report was updated by the news agency after Swarajya The magazine, which organized the event, clarified that Kant’s statements were made in the context of “over-distributing resources” and not in the Indian political system.

Swarajya’s interaction with @ amitabhk87 it was in PLI and manufacturing and not in political systems. His answer was in the context of over-distributing resources and not creating global champions. Some mischievous elements have tried to distort it and quote it totally out of context.

– Swarajya (@SwarajyaMag) December 8, 2020

Twitterati crashed the CEO of Niti Aayog when a video of his comments began circulating on social media. Daily English Hindustan Times, who had shared the comments on Twitter, removed it from the social media platform after Kant tweeted that he didn’t say so.

This is definitely not what I said. I was talking about the MEIS scheme and resources being dispersed and the need to create global champions in the manufacturing sector. https://t.co/6eugmtoinB – Amitabh Kant (@ amitabhk87) December 8, 2020

According to him PTI Kant further claimed that it is not easy for India to compete against China without tough reforms, and that the next wave of reforms must come from the states.

“This government has shown (the) political will to carry out tough reforms,” ​​he said.

“If 10 to 12 states will grow at higher rates, then there is no reason why India should not grow at higher rates. We have asked the Union territories to privatize discoms. Discoms must become much more competitive. and provide cheap energy, “he added. .

In response to a question about farmers’ protests against the Center’s new farm laws, Kant said the agricultural sector needs reform.

“It is very important to understand this that the MSP (minimum support price) will be there, mandis will remain … farmers should have the option to sell their products as they benefit from this, “he noted.

On sourcing raw materials for manufacturing electric batteries in India, Kant noted that lithium (which is used to make batteries) is available in large quantities around the world, including Australia.

“We do not anticipate any lithium shortages,” he said.

On the Modi government’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, he said it is not about looking inward, but about unlocking the potential of Indian companies.

The government has identified 10 champion sectors for the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme and these sectors will play an important role in making India a manufacturing hub and bringing economies of scale to the country, Kant said.

“The PLI scheme will provide a great opportunity for these sectors for four to five years to export,” he added.

Noting that India must make a technological leap, Kant said that it is also important for the country to enter emerging industries.

With PTI inputs