«Désintérêt complet du gouvernement face à la cause des démunis », Xavier-Luc Duval

Mr. Duval gives the impression that he is looking for the sea while standing on the beach. He does not see the mountain in front of him. After all that this government has been doing since it took office to alleviate the hardships and sufferings of those who are at the bottom rung of the social ladder, Duval said that the government is not doing anything in that direction. If this is not undiluted demagogy on the part of the Leader of Opposition in an attempt « pour redorer son blason », it definitely looks like. He is doing cheap politics on the back of the have-nots for political mileage. This is pure dishonesty on his part. One must be totally blind in order not to see the many realizations of the government for the needy.

Let us consider some items to demolish the demagogy of the Leader of the Opposition. The budget of the old-age pension has jacked up from Rs 4.7 billion in 2006 -7 to Rs 14.5 billion in 2016-17. A subsistence allowance of Rs 9,520, which was not there under the previous regime, has been allocated to more than 8,214 families living in abject poverty. Concerning housing, it is absolutely stupidity to say that this government has not done anything in that sector. The « matchbox » houses measuring 31 m2, which were built when Duval was in the government of Navin Ramgoolam, have been scrapped to make room for decent houses measuring 50 m2, with an adequate space around. 928 families who were squatting on crown lands have become owners. Thousands of houses will have sprouted up by 2019 at the cost of 10 billion rupees. Added to these, there is the Marshall Plan to ease the burden of the poor. Mr. Duval, the sea is in front of you!

Can we ask Duval what he has done when he was Minister of Finance in the government of Navin Ramgoolam to alleviate the sufferings and hardships of the poor? How many « matchbox » houses has their government built for the poor apart from cancelling the bread ration of the pupils at school? The MSM government has always been the most caring government the country has had since its Independence. The plight of the poor has always been its overriding concern. The country has always made headway under an MSM government, to be stalled under the leadership of the Labour Party when they regained power. Today, no one can say that his life was better under the regime of Navin Ramgoolam, unless he is utterly disconnected from the country’s reality, or those with political blinkers. Only the vultures and prophets of doom will wish ill to this government. The train of the economic development is gathering speed and no one has the right to put a spoke in its wheel.

In this respect, there is no doubt that abject poverty will disappear by 2019. All the electoral promises of this government are achievable, provided sleeves are rolled up and the government makes job creation, economic recovery, the combat against drug-trafficking and abject poverty, along with law and order, its overriding priorities. The country is all set for its second economic miracle provided the interests of the country override everything. Trivialities must not overshadow priorities, which could impede progress and bring grist to the mill of the opposition.

Therefore, we request Mr. Duval to evince « un peu de bon sens.» « Nou kone ou dan dife mem », but don’t stoop so low!

                                                                                                          By Raj paneken