What's on the FM's plate

Get the planning commission off our back: To speed up the economic recovery with accelerated road construction, Ministry of Roads & Highways wants the limiting conditions that Planning Commission has thrust on private road contracts to go. This has become necessary to get banks to agree to lend for the projects. Roads Secretary Brahm Dutt says the Commission’s new system for tolls that is based on traffic congestion has cast uncertainty on the viability of road projects.

Don’t confuse us with tax collectors: The Department of Disinvestment doesn’t want to be pressurised into generating revenues in a hurry just to be able to plug the gaping fiscal deficit. Selling government stake—whether to the public or strategic investors—takes at least 6-8 months. Disinvestment secretary Rahul Khullar wants a clear mandate from the government on its policy for selling stakes in PSUs, in the form of an agenda that will not be allowed to go awry over an odd case of disinvestment having to be called off.

Call off India Inc.’S bluff: The Department of Revenue would want to resist the clamour for indirect tax breaks for the industry to beat the slowdown. Revenue Secretary P.V. Bhide, who reports to Mukherjee, has delivered an 8 per cent growth in income tax collections (personal and corporate), but the relaxations given in the government’s stimulus packages, on top of the existing exemptions, have hit the indirect mop-up. Most industries are gladly pocketing the tax savings instead of passing them on to the consumer.

Show us the money: Ministry of Home Affairs wants more funds for state police budgets under the Central Plan. It would also like housing for the forces since only 25 per cent of the 2.2 million central and state police force employees get homes now. Home Minister and Mukherjee’s predecessor P Chidambaram’s proposal on the police housing spend could also hasten the economic recovery.

—Puja Mehra