Remaining sactions to go after Clinton's visit -- Vajpayee

Remaining sactions to go after Clinton's visit -- Vajpayee
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

LUCKNOW, FEB 26: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Saturday indicated that sanctions imposed by the United States on New Delhi following the 1998 nuclear tests would be lifted when Bill Clinton visits India next month.

Making a mention of the economic sanctions, Vajpayee said the coming visit of the US President proves the scenario has changed since the imposition of the punitive measures two years ago.

"The President of the country which imposed sanctions onus is coming. On his visit here, the sanctions are about to go," he said inaugurating a teachers' convention here.

Vajpayee said efforts were on to raise the budgetary allocation for defence and education sectors in spite of the financial crunch facing the country.

"After the Kargil conflict, there is a need to raise the spending in the defence sector despite financial constraints and I think the people are also prepared for it," he said inaugurating a secondary teachers' convention here.

"The country's security is the prime concern of the Government and the generous contribution made by the people during the Kargil conflict showed that they too are concerned about it," the Prime Minister said.

Stressing that primary education should be made compulsory, Vajpayee said his government was working towards creating an atmosphere where nobody would remain deprived of the right to education in the next five years.

He said if some states of the country could work towards improving educational standards and literacy, Uttar Pradesh too could do so.

Allaying fears of the teachers that computerisation would cut down on their job opportunities, he assured that there was no reason why the State's teachers should remain deprived of the Fifth Pay Commission benefits.

So far the State's teachers have not got the benefits under the Fifth Pay Commission, Vajpayee said, adding they would not be deprived of it.

Calling upon the teachers to inculcate good values in the students, he said education should be made the focal point of nation's progress and development.

On brain drain, the Prime Minister said the situation has changed now and Indians settled abroad want to invest in nation-building.

"I have also asked the Indians settled abroad to create awareness about the country there and tell the world that discrimination in the filed of science and technology would hamper our progress," he added.

On the economic sanctions after the Pokharan nuclear tests, Vajpayee said the upcoming visit of the President of the country which imposed sanctions on india shows the changed scenario.

"The remaining sanctions would be lifted after (Bill) Clinton's visit," he added.

Commenting on the Railway Budget, Vajpayee said the Government refrained from hiking passenger fares to prove that it had the will to improve financial situation even without taxing people.

Hinting at some tough measures in the forthcoming budget, Vajpayee said financial constraints can always be overcome by more judicious economic planning and ensuring proper channelisation of economic resources.