'Decision-Making Even In Face of Obstructionism': Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 1 Year of Government

New Delhi: Addressing the first of many press conferences to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first year in power, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said quick decision-making in the face of obstructionism was a hallmark of his government.

"There was a general environment of gloom a year ago. That has been replaced by hope and excitement, " Mr Jaitley said. One year ago, the Narendra Modi-led BJP won a massive victory in the national election on the promise of an economic revival through major reforms.

In recent months the government has confronted criticism from a restless industry about the slow pace of reforms. As he listed his government's achievements in its first year, the finance minister labored the point that key reforms had been blocked by the opposition.

Without naming the Congress, Mr Jaitley commented that the "principal opposition party has positioned itself against growth and development."

He added, "India can reach double digit growth...decision-making has to be quick...When we obstruct, it is the journey to that 10% we are obstructing."

The finance minister spoke about the delay in enacting bills to change the rules of buying farm land and to bring in the Goods and Services Tax or GST for a unified tax regime across the country.

"The ones who are worried due to the fast progress, want to know why the (land) ordinance was brought. The country is not ready to settle for slow progress," he said.

To a question on the GST Bill being stalled in Parliament, he said: "I wish this question was asked to those who after introducing GST, after getting their own chief ministers to support GST, still ended up on a further delay."

Mr Jaitley also addressed criticism of the prime minister's foreign trips - 18 countries in the past year.

"The number of foreign trips the PM made, he went to 18 countries...and he had talks with several countries, this has helped in leaving India's mark on these countries," he said. To a question later, he also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "Going for vacation for 55 days is one kind of a foreign trip and state visits representing the country are completely different," he said.

The senior union minister asserted that his government had provided a clean and transparent administration.

"People felt that the decision making process of the government of India was so controversial and discretionary that even investors were prosecuted. That air has been cleared by the transparency of this government," he said.