New Delhi, Feb 12 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil today said that the UPA Government has kept all its promises spelt out in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).

Lauding the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Bharat Nirman and the Debt waiver schemes, President said several other schemes for upliftment of minorities were also launched. This included new 15-point programme, creation of minority affairs ministry and scholarships for students of minority communities.

In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Patil said that the UPA government has “acted on nearly all the commitments made to the people”.

“The UPA government focused on enhancing the prosperity of the people through sharing of opportunity and echoed the sentiments of the first Prime Minister that the government must act to remove poverty, ignorance, disease and the inequality of opportunity,” she added.

Maintaining that people measure government not on the basis of what it says but on the basis of what it does, she said, “In a democracy, government is measured on a simple maxim- aam admi ko kya mila? (What the common man has got?)”

“When democratic, secular, progressive forces came together in this government it sought to make itself accountable to the people through a NCMP,” she said.

“Today, after close to five years in office, the government believes that it has acted on nearly all the commitments made to the people through NCMP”, she added.

Referring to the impact of global economic melt down, Patil said that a series of measures have been taken to stimulate the economy. They include increasing availability of liquidity and credit, reduction in taxes and duties, boost infrastructure and special support to the worse affected sectors like exports, micro, medium and small industries.

“Despite economic melt down, India is poised to register relatively high growth rate,” she said.

Listing the government achievements, Patil said, the right information had a positive impact in making government more accountable.

The President said the government has moved much closer to realise their agenda of inclusive society with equal opportunities for all citizens and expressed the hope that youth will make better use of the opportunities available globally.

Talking about the efforts made in the field of Science and Technology, Patil said the Indian scientists have demonstrated that they have the capacity to be the best in the world and the successful placing into the lunar orbit of the Chandrayan -I spacecraft is a tribute to this talented pool of scientists. (ANI)