At the very outset, I would like to mention that the idea of introducing a compulsory savings scheme is not a new one and has been under consideration for the past several years. In fact, as early as in 1998-99 the national development council had expressed a view in its facour, we are also trying to secure the cooperation of trade unions and employers for its introduction. As a result, however, of the situation created by the emergency and the paramount need for finding additional resources to meet the growing cost of development and defence, the government came to the conclusion that it was no longer possible to rely on the proceeds of taxation and voluntary savings alone and that introduction of some element of compulsory savings was unavoidable. The bill before the house is a comprehensive measure and seeks to cover all the major sections of the community who can be expected to have some margin for savings, however small that might be. It cannot be denied that compulsory savings would impose some hardship, particularly on the lower income groups. No one would have been happier than ourselves if we had the means of eliminating these groups from the scope of compulsory savings, but in our country. I would like to say that this Government has failed in all fields. Take the case of NREGA programme. They say that they have made a lot of success here. It is a good announcement and it is a very good programme. But the point is that it has not been implemented properly. The State, which is not ruled by the Congress party, are being neglected by the Centre. My District has not got the last two installments of the NREGA till date. We want them now. It is because the people have started migrating to different industrial places in different States. Therefore, when you are making the Act like the NREGA or the NRHM, you have to get radical reforms and radical legislations to make it a success. When you do not have the radical reforms, how would you make it a successful programme.
