India looking for economic reforms, says Narayanasamy

New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), V. Narayanasamy, on Friday played down Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu's remark that reforms are unlikely before the 2014 elections, saying India is looking forward in spite of the economic breakdown in the whole world.

Narayanasamy said the UPA Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is trying its best for development in the country.

"Our government is trying its best under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh for the purpose of development in this country. But one thing you will have to appreciate in spite of the total economic breakdown in the whole world, India is looking forward whether it is the banking sector, the infrastructure development, whether it is foreign investment, which are coming to our country, we are going on the development path," he said.

Narayanasamy further said the government respects the views of Basu.

"He has given his views, we also respect his views. But I am telling from our side, the government side, several financial reforms, and also implementing the rural development scheme, the urban development scheme," said Narayanasamy.

"We are going to extend the National Rural Health Mission because now in our country there is a mixture of urban and rural people. Now, the urbanization is taking place, therefore both the sectors have to be taken care of," he added.

Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal refused to comment on Basu's remark.

"Ask this question to him (Kaushik Basu). If I have given such a statement, ask questions to me. If anybody else has made such statement, ask questions to him. Whoever has said this ask him. Why are you asking me?" he said.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha had earlier in the day accused the Congress-led UPA Government of putting the blame on others for the nation's economic crisis, and said that Basu had merely stated the truth that major economic reforms are unlikely to happen before the next general elections in 2014.

Addressing a meeting at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an eminent Washington-based think tank, on Wednesday, Basu said: "We are going through a difficult year. (After 2014), you would see a rush of important reforms and after 2015 India would be one of the fastest growing economies of the world. The new government, if in a majority, would start with the reforms in a big way because there is a sense that it needs to pick up." (ANI)