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Alliance Partners 1. Bharatiya Janata Party National Agenda for Governance Preamble In the recently concluded elections to the 12th Lok Sabha, the BJP and its alliance partners went to the people as a team and sought their support for forming a new government. The electorate has given its verdict. The BJP and alliance partners have unitedly won. We have the mandate to govern. This we will do mindful of the high responsibility and honour that has been conferred upon us. On this occasion we recollect the core of the appeal for support that we had made; the assurance of a 'stable government and an able leadership'. As a reaffirmation of that, and in joint and unanimous commitment to this high national endeavour, together the BJP and alliance partners now present to the country a 'National Agenda for Governance'. This is our joint commitment, an assurance that we give together to the entire country. We do so conscious of the deep historic import of the moment in this the Golden Jubilee year of our independence; of the great relevance and significance of 'The Agenda For India', adopted unanimously by both Houses of Parliament on the occasion; the impending end of the Twentieth Century and the dawning of a new millennium. On this occasion we appeal for and aspire to the advent of a new political age of reconciliation and accord; of dynamic economic growth with our cherished values of humanism in the forefront, and above all with an unshakeable faith in the destiny of our great land and its people. Governance 1. Our first commitment to the people is to give a stable, honest, transparent, and efficient government capable of accomplishing all-round development. For this the government shall introduce time-bound programmes of needed administrative reforms including those for the police and other Civil Services. Economy 2. We will continue with the reform process, give it a strong Swadeshi thrust to ensure that the national economy grows on the principal that 'India shall be built by Indians'; reappraise and revitalise reforms through giving primacy to removal of unemployment, and to an accelerated development of infrastructure, particularly energy and power production. We will bring GDP growth to the 7-8% bracket, and control deficits--fiscal and revenue. We will take all such steps as would expedite implementation of policies and programmes in accord with our national interests; and give to the entire national development efforts a human face with total eradication of poverty as the ultimate goal. For this 'Berozgari Hatao'--eradicate unemployment--is our call. 3. We will carefully analyse the effects of globalisation, calibrate the process of it by devising a time-table to suit our national conditions and requirements so as to not undermine but strengthen the national economy, the indigenous industrial base and the financial and services sectors. We will earmark 60% of the Plan Funds for and effect public investment in agriculture, rural development, irrigation and by diverse incentive, including tax shelters, achieve a quantum leap in agricultural production so that agriculture, horticulture, forestry, food processing, fisheries and so on become the vehicles for growth resulting in an enhancement of the purchasing power of the people. Effective crop insurance schemes will be introduced. Special efforts will be made in Animal Husbandry and Dairying. This is one of the routes to generating employment, thus eradicating hunger and poverty in rural as well as urban areas. We will continue with farm subsidies but make them more direct, efficient and specific. Development of medium and small scale irrigation projects shall receive priority attention; emphasis for investment here will be in accordance with the potential for development. 5. We will adopt a National Water Policy which provides for effective and prompt settlement of disputes and their time-bound implementation. 6. We will increase the national savings to 30% of the GDP in the next five years by appropriate incentives and through motivation; encourage Foreign Direct Investment in core areas so that is usefully supplements the national efforts and discourage FDI in non-priority areas. 7. We will institute a comprehensive study of the financial, technological and social security requirements of the self-employed and unincorporated sector, also constitute a Development Bank to promote this largest segment of the national economy which, too, has great employment and self-employment potential. Further, in addition to financial support institutions we will bring into being other institutional systems for providing services, technology and marketing facilities for artisans, the small-scale, village, khadi, powerloom, handloom, handicrafts and such other industries. This and the Agriculture sectors are an untapped source with unlimited scope for generation of employment. 8. We will give a major thrust to infrastructure development, particularly energy and power, by recommencing public expenditure in the sector. Towards this we will access long-term funds in the national and international markets, remove administrative bottlenecks, reverse the slowdown in this critical area of national economy, thus giving a fresh impetus to growth. 9. We will undertake a review of all laws and regulations relating to industry so as to free it from bureaucratic control; institute a system of voluntary compliance with laws, including tax laws; ensure speedy redressal of industrial sickness; arrange for meaningful interaction between industry and government; and revive the capital market as a viable and transparent mechanism for raising capital. We will also expedite comprehensive reform of the PSUs, including restructuring, rehabilitation and divestment. Labour 10. We will make labour, both organised and unorganised, an equal and proud partner in the production of the nation's wealth and in its progress. Laws relating to equal pay for equal work for men and women shall be strictly implemented. Science and Technology 11. For sustainable national development and the long-overdue transformation of India into a modern, prosperous and knowledge-driven nation, we will ensure integration of efforts in the field of science and technology with development programmes in various socio-economic sectors. We will speed up the modernisation of National Laboratories, strengthen R&D and establish Centres of Excellence. Information Technology 12. A new revolution is sweeping the global--that of Information Technology. We believe that Information Technology is an important vehicle for future development. We are committed to ensuring that India is a full and equal partner in its global progress; indeed that India can be a software superpower. We will, for that purpose, unveil a National Informatics Policy with short, medium and long-term perspectives. Conclusion This National Agenda is a sincere and solemn covenant aimed at changing the content and culture of governance of this great nation, freeing it of the triple curses of hunger (bhookh), fear (bhay) and corruption (bharashtachar), and transforming it into a New India that is prosperous, strong, self-confident and at peace with itself and the world. We appeal for the cooperation of all parties and all sections of society in this great endeavour. Signed by: 1. Shri A.B. Vajpayee
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