New Delhi: RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) lauded the Union Finance Ministry's decision of not allowing global tenders for government purchases up to Rs 200 crore, and also expressed hope that Defence and other ministries will toe the same line and only allow the sale of local products in their canteens.
The affiliate, while appreciating government's fiscal stimulus package, also demanded that foreign companies wanting to operate in India should forego royalties, besides leaving domestic market untouched.
Speaking to a news agency on the announcements made by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convenor of SJM said, "The decision of not going in for global tenders up to Rs 200 crore is a big boost. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens have taken a positive step by allowing the sale of local products only. We expect Defence and other ministries to come up with such decisions as well. Government is a big buyer. We had a Congress government before and I wonder why it has never thought of such things."
The SJM functionary also said that while his organisation has been opposing foreign companies in the country, it has communicated that these companies may be allowed if they agree to some conditions.
"The conditions are that foreign companies will come for export only and will not eat into the domestic market. These foreign companies use domestic products and take away royalty from here in the name of technology, these companies should forego that amount," stated Mahajan.
Responding to what makes the government think that countries will shift the base of their manufacturing to India if they leave China, Mahajan said, "China's creditworthiness graph has dipped."