The governments report card on the past year did not make any references to incidents that have cast a shadow on its performance like the Naxal attack in Dantewada in which 75 CRPF personnel were killed but the Prime Minister in his speech said development must go hand-in-hand with security forces operations in the areas affected by Maoist violence. In dealing with the challenge of Naxalism,we will pursue a policy that genuinely seeks to address developmental concerns at the grass roots,while firmly enforcing the writ of the state, the PM said in his opening remarks at the ceremony to release the performance report. Ahead of the proposed meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security that will calibrate the governments approach on Naxalism,Manmohan Singh appeared to have further nuanced his position on the issue,bringing it closer to the one advocated by several senior Congress leaders such as party general secretary Digvijay Singh. The report also did not elaborate much on galloping prices beyond acknowledging broadly that the problem needed to be addressed. The increase in WPI inflation can be attributed to expectations of supply side constraints of food items,especially due to the unfavorable south west monsoon, it said on reasons for the price rise,adding that the government had taken a number of short and medium term measures to improve domestic availability of essential commodities and moderate inflation. The PM outlined his governments focus areas for the year ahead. He said the Food Security Bill is under preparation,and would soon be placed in the public domain for scrutiny. The Unique ID project was in an advanced stage and Aadhar numbers would hopefully be issued in the next six months. The Right to Education Act would become a reality soon,he promised,adding that he next intended to reform the system of medical studies. The report highlighted 12 themes,including enabling human development,social inclusion,rural renewal,economic resurgence,sustaining of environment,and security. The report card took credit for the political empowerment of women by citing the passage of the womens reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The short function held this evening at the Prime Ministers 7,Race Course Road residence was attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi,besides the leaders of alliance partners Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee,NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his close aide,Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel,DMK leader T R Baalu,AIMIMs Asaduddin Owaisi and the Muslim Leagues E Ahamed.
