Industrial Policy
In order to reverse the centralization of economic power in
the hands of a few, make sustainable use of local resources and bring
development to the rural areas Prout advocates that industrial units should be
established only in places where the raw materials for that particular industry
are available. At present, industry has been centralized only in a few places
like Kanpur, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana etc.. Raw materials like coal,
steel, cotton etc. have to be imported from other places which puts a great
strain upon scarce energy resources such as diesel and petrol. This in turn
puts extra pressure on foreign exchange. Importing raw materials and exporting
finished products raises the price level and requires large scale migration of
labor to work in factories creating a serious imbalance in rural and urban
areas. All this dramatically increases ecological, habitat, transport, water,
electricity and slum problems which, at places like Delhi and Mumbai, have
created cultural maladjustments also.
As such Prout’s slogan is: “Industries at the
places of their raw materials only”
From the time of Jawaharlal Nehru India adopted
a mixed economy, meaning that some industries are simultaneously under the
control of the state and the private sector. Having already experienced the
failure of this approach, heavily losing state concerns are being sold to
either the private sector or to foreign companies in the name of
liberalization, rationalization, perestroika, reforms, investment (especially
FDI – foreign direct investment), etc.. At the end of the day, this policy will
have a serious negative impact on the economic health of the aam aadmi who
looks on helplessly at his own impending disaster. It also poses a threat to
the future integrity and sovereignty of our nation. We have not forgotten how,
slowly but steadily, the East India Company slipped through our gates, acquired
the whole country and became its master.
Therefore Prout declares that after confiscating
industrial units under private or foreign domination, industry will be
organized as follows:
Basic Industry: Spinning mills, petroleum
refineries, mining and metallurgy of iron, coal, silver, gold and other metals
and the production of basic materials such as bars of precious metals, iron
ingots and other such materials will be brought under the exclusive control of
the Central Government. The Central Government will run them on a no profit no
loss basis only at places where the raw materials they require are available
(as mentioned above).
Heavy Industries: Those units requiring basic
raw materials produced by basic industries will also be established at the same
locations or in their vicinity and will be under the control of the respective
State Governments. Only local people will be employed except in special
circumstances when proper technical personnel are not available locally. This
will be Prout’s permanent policy in order to provide full employment to the
local people, make them self sufficient and avoid the huge labor migrations
which are the current norm.
Agrico-industries: Industries producing
agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, agricultural
implements etc. will be established as cooperatives at the village, block and
district level, as the need may be. Here also local people will be preferred
for employment in such units.
Agriculture based industries: Units such as
flour mills, sugar mills, oil mills, dal mills, biscuit factories, bakeries,
fruit-juice factories, fruit processing industries, pickle making, dairy
products, paper manufacturing, etc. will be assigned to the villages or blocks
where the raw materials for them are easily available. They will all be run as
cooperatives employing local people which will boost the local economy.
Private Enterprise: Small enterprises such as
shops of all kinds, cafe’s, restaurants, dhabas, service units such as motor
garages, repair shops, tailoring shops, village and small scale industries,
etc. but requiring a limited capital investment, say 5 to 10 lakhs (to be
revised or modified according to time and place periodically), will be managed
by private individuals.
Agricultural Policy
Presently, about 70% of the population subsist
on agriculture. There is a shortage of electricity and lack of irrigation
facilities in many states. As a result the entire agricultural output depends
on the monsoon. Fertilizers, seeds and pesticides are not available on time. On
top of this drought or floods spoil the crops. This saps the vitality of
Kissans and makes the viability of agriculture uncertain. Kissans often do not
receive even the cost of their inputs for their produce. This is why the
standard of living of Kissans is, by and large, very poor. Tragically, suicides
have become the order of the day. Prout declares the following steps to ameliorate
this desperate situation;
Agriculture will be declared an industry. As
basic raw materials like electricity, water or many other inputs are subsidized
for industry, similarly, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, electricity, water,
etc. will be subsidized for agriculture. Prices of agricultural produce will be
linked to the prices of inputs and direct services employed in these
operations.
Since small holdings are insufficient to raise
the standard of living and make agriculture viable for Kissans Prout emphasizes
that agriculture will be re-organized according to the cooperative system
(efforts will be made through discussion and persuasion to include all holdings
in cooperatives) and it will be ensured that only 35 –40% people are engaged in
this profession while the rest are diverted to other gainful employment.
Agricultural produce such as atta, maida, sooji,
fruit juices, processed and canned fruits, pickles and other items made from
crops will be established exclusively in the villages and only finished
products requiring no further processing shall be sent to towns for sale.
In the event of drought, floods or other natural
calamities, government will be liable to compensate the loss 100%. For such an
eventualities a National Agriculture Fund will be established.
