Lok Sabha Debates Discussion On The Demands For Grants No. 11 And 12 Under The Control Of Ministry Of ... on 3 May, 2012 > Title: Discussion on the Demands for Grants No. 11 and 12 under the control of Ministry of Commerce and Industry. MR. CHAIRMAN: The House will now take up discussion and voting on Demand Nos.11 and 12 relating to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Hon. Members present in the House whose cut motions to the Demands for Grants have been circulated may, if they desire to move their cut motions, send slips to the Table within 15 minutes indicating the serial numbers of the cut motions they would like to move. Only those cut motions, slips in respect of which are received at the Table within the stipulated time, will be treated as moved. A list showing the serial numbers of cut motions treated as moved will be put up on the Notice Board shortly thereafter. In case any Member finds any discrepancy in the list, he may kindly bring it to the notice of the Officer at the Table immediately. The Demands Nos. 11 and 12 will be discussed till 6 p.m. As the Members are already aware, guillotine will take place at 6 p.m. Motion moved: “That the respective sums not exceeding the amounts on Revenue Account and Capital Account shown in the fourth column of the Order Paper be granted to the President of India, out of the Consolidated Fund of India, to complete the sums necessary to defray the charges that will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 2013, in respect of the heads of Demands entered in the Second column thereof against Demand Nos. 11 and 12 relating to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. ” SK. SAIDUL HAQUE (BARDHMANDURGAPUR): Sir, give me permission to speak from here. MR. CHAIRMAN: Do you want to change your seat? SK. SAIDUL HAQUE: I wanted your permission to speak from here. MR. CHAIRMAN: Please continue. You are permitted. SK. SAIDUL HAQUE : Chairman, Sir, thank you for giving me permission to speak on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Department of Commerce and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion are the two main Departments of the Ministry. One is responsible for the regulation, development and promotion of international trade, formulation, implementation and monitoring of foreign trade policy. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is responsible for formulation, implementation of industrial policy and approval and facilitation of the Foreign Direct Investment Policy. If we look at the Budget allocation we see that in the case of Department of Commerce, allocation in Rs. 5023 crore which has declined up to 23 per cent compared to the last year Budget allocation and 12 percent increase compared to the Revised Estimate. But, here we see that nine per cent deduction is for export promotion and quality control, eight per cent deduction is for plantations, whereas 281 per cent increase is for free trade and Special Economic Zone. This shows the Government’s attitude to give emphasise on sectors like free trade and Special Economic Zone. In the DIPP Budget, it is Rs. 1567 crore, which is more than 10 per cent increase compared to last year and 21 per cent increase compared to last year’s Revised Budget. Here also, we see that 70 per cent has been deduction for backward area development. But, what is the matter of concern the hon. Minister should look into it that whatever allocation is done, that is not spent in a timebound manner. So, the utilization of fund is a matter of concern and that should be looked into. If we look at the export performance, the trade deficit is 185 billion US Dollar, which is 9.9 per cent of the GDP. Total exports for 201112 were 303 billion US Dollar, which is 16 per cent of the GDP and import is 488 billion US Dollar, which is 26 per cent of the GDP. So, the trade deficit is gradually increasing. The share of India in the world’s GDP is 5.7 per cent whereas the share in world’s export is just 1.9 per cent. Current Account deficit is four per cent for the period April to December 2011. We need to remember that it is all time high. The Hon. Minister and the Ministry are thinking to double India’s share in the global trade. But, we need to remember that the global trade is likely to grow 62 trillion US Dollar by 2020. And, to achieve the four per cent share, as is envisaged, it transpires that our EXIM trade should increase to 2480 billion US Dollar from present 303 billion US Dollar. How can this be achieved? What are the strategies for it? This should be elaborated and tol