Aam Aadmi Party economic agenda: Speed up gas-scam probes

NEW DELHI: After making the Reliance gas pricing an emotive poll issue, AAP is likely to include speedy investigation of gas and coal scams as part of its economic agenda. The economic policy — to be made public soon — is likely to recommend better public oversight in issues of gas and oil exploration to ensure energy security at low prices for the country.

The party that is making its maiden bid in the upcoming LS elections has made repeated claims in the past weeks over the alleged undue benefits that Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries was receiving from the government for gas exploration in KG Basin.

As Delhi CM, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had got the state's anti-corruption bureau to lodge a FIR against Ambani and oil minister Veerappa Moily. The allegations have been denied by the company.

Sources said that the economic policy is also likely to focus on combating price rise. "India has seen a high rise in food and fuel prices despite good crop yield. AAP will focus on curbing the black market, cutting down on middle-men and long-term investments in infrastructure and services,'' a party source said.

Kejriwal in a recent meeting with industrialists spoke about how the party was against corruption and crony capitalism rather than capitalism. Party leaders underlined the need for an enabling environment for businesses. "Licence-raj, high cost of compliance and lack of transparency in business are hurting entrepreneurship.

Investments for the real economy are increasingly being diverted to unproductive short term speculation and black economy,'' the source said. Effective implementation of the Jan Lokpal will also be on the agenda.

The country's seen an increasing rate of unemployment in the last two decades, the economy having added merely two crore regular wage jobs. AAP sources said the party was likely to focus on vocation skills and selfemployment training too.