The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of "blowing out of proportion" issues highlighted in the Economic Survey especially agriculture, education and unemployment and asserted that the government would steer the economy towards doubling farm income, accelerating growth and generating employment.

In a statement, the BJP spokesperson on economic affairs Gopal Krishna Agrawal said, "Acknowledging an area of concern is the first step towards its successful resolution. But blowing them out of proportion is mere politics".

As opposed to the critique that the Economic Survey admits failure on critical areas like agriculture, education and unemployment, the document is a reiteration of the Government’s commitment to double farmer’s income by the year 2022 and identification of agriculture, education and employment as the focus area for the Budget, he said.

"Understanding that agriculture sector’s growth, measured simply by increase in production will never brings desired results, the Government’s focus is on increasing the farmer’s income. There are several initiatives in the pipeline; discussions like direct market sale of farm produce and compensation to the farmers for difference in Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the market price, insurance; targeting towards the fluctuating prices of farm produce, Government’s plan to align import/export policy to farmer’s price realization instead of merely looking at consumer price inflation, all these are welcome steps. Increasing MSP without having complete supply chain linkages and warehousing facilities is a drain on the Government resources, is inflationary and distorting crop production pattern," he said.

Agrawal said with no reliable job data after 2011, all estimates are merely claims and counter claims and there is absolute clarity on the policy direction that jobs creation will be a result of encouraging entrepreneurship and self employment.

"Ten crore Mudra loans out of which about three crores are first time beneficiaries will have to be accounted for as new businesses. India is the fastest growing economy in the world with huge infrastructure spend by the Government, there is ample evidence that this is not jobless growth. If roads are being built, new houses are being constructed; someone must be getting work to do it," he said.

Streamlining of tax collection through historical policy measures like GST has resulted in an extraordinary growth in the number of tax payers in the country. "Fifty per cent growth in the number of tax payers under indirect tax regime and 12 per cent increase in GST collections show a positive impact of tax compliances after GST. Similarly, increase in direct tax collection to the tune of 19 per cent indicates that demonetisation has benefitted tax compliance, bringing more resources in the hands of government, helping towards lowering and streamlining of tax rates," Agrawal said.