India gave "a befitting reply" to repeated incursions (from across the border) by conducting successful surgical strikes on Pakistan-Occupied- Kashmir (POK) last September, said President Pranab Mukherjee in an address to Parliament at the start of the Budget Session.
He also said "it is necessary to have a constructive debate on simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the (State) Assemblies", a proposal the Centre has been talking about instituting, in addition to advancing the annual budget.
"This is a historic (budget) session heralding the advancement of the budget cycle and the merger of general budget with rail budget for the first time", he said, referring to the fact that the Centre decided to move the budget presentation from April to February.
President Mukherjee was making his office's traditional budget-eve address focussed on the government's achievements in the last fiscal year. One of those achievements was India's surgical strikes in PoK, conducted as retribution for the terror attack in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
"Jammu and Kashmir is affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border. Infiltration attempts, terror incidents, loss of lives there is a matter of grave concern," the President said.
He added that the government is committed to combating terrorism and ensuring perpetrators of these acts are brought to justice. "India has been facing the challenge of terrorism for the last four decades and it will actively collaborate with other nations to decisively defeat it," Mukherjee said.
The President also commended the country's citizenry.
"The resilience and forbearance demonstrated by my countrymen recently in fight against black money and corruption is remarkable," Mukherjee said, referring to the hardships caused after the Centre scrapped RS 1,000 and Rs 500 notes on November 8. The Centre said its aim is to decimate black money and corruption.
One way to ensure corruption-free politics, at least, is to hold elections to Parliament and all State Assemblies simultaneously, the Centre believes.
While the idea is sound, in theory, it is something that must be discussed by all political parties.
"My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate misuse of money power also needs to be debated," he said.
"Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged period of election duty," the President said.
The President also said the government is committed to improving the quality of life of the poor.
"Financial inclusion is key to poverty alleviation," he said.
