All of us have heard or read the Budget headlines. What were we looking for; tax hike , some sops, inflation checks, some headline news ?
But friends its whats in fine print that should arrest our attention, make us conscious of the rising inequality between what we have and what 70% don't have.
I was fortunate to listen to P Sainath on the subject on the Budget morning. As Pranab Mukherjee droned on about inclusive growth , in a tiny airless hall Sainath was educating young college students how to get accurate Government data and how to interpret. Pranab da spoke on increase in allocation for agri & rural sector. Sainath pointed out that when increase was spoken it was a percentage without inflation factor. So what increase?
Did you know that last year the Government waived off
Rs 80,000 cr on Direct Corporate Income tax
Rs 1,49,000 cr on Excise duty
Rs 2,79,000 cr on customs duty( large corporate hospitals import equipment supposedly for the poor)
Yet there is no fund available for Food , PDS or NAC recommendations.
In fact all the points raised by Sainath and what the Government response would be was predicted and it was verbatim in the replies of Kapil Sibal on TV debate. He bulldozed Sitaram Yerchury who was refuting the increase allocation to social development sector.
Did you know that in terms of Human Development Index HDI India ranks 119 of 169 countries and below Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Sri Lanka . All these countries are densely populated , there is constant disruption , yet in terms of life span, standard of living and education all those countries fare better than India.
Why?
We in India have become a country of economists and statisticians. We favour growth and revenue but mouth schemes for poverty alleviation. What is this growth. Market expansion thanks to the population. What is HDI? The value we place on human life and quality of life. To imagine a country run by an autocrat Mubarak had offered a better life to its peoples than what we are having for the majority.
Friends please read the Economic survey which precedes the budget. At the very least we must be informed and aware of the doublespeak that we swallow in our ignorance.
But friends its whats in fine print that should arrest our attention, make us conscious of the rising inequality between what we have and what 70% don't have.
I was fortunate to listen to P Sainath on the subject on the Budget morning. As Pranab Mukherjee droned on about inclusive growth , in a tiny airless hall Sainath was educating young college students how to get accurate Government data and how to interpret. Pranab da spoke on increase in allocation for agri & rural sector. Sainath pointed out that when increase was spoken it was a percentage without inflation factor. So what increase?
Did you know that last year the Government waived off
Rs 80,000 cr on Direct Corporate Income tax
Rs 1,49,000 cr on Excise duty
Rs 2,79,000 cr on customs duty( large corporate hospitals import equipment supposedly for the poor)
Yet there is no fund available for Food , PDS or NAC recommendations.
In fact all the points raised by Sainath and what the Government response would be was predicted and it was verbatim in the replies of Kapil Sibal on TV debate. He bulldozed Sitaram Yerchury who was refuting the increase allocation to social development sector.
Did you know that in terms of Human Development Index HDI India ranks 119 of 169 countries and below Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Sri Lanka . All these countries are densely populated , there is constant disruption , yet in terms of life span, standard of living and education all those countries fare better than India.
Why?
We in India have become a country of economists and statisticians. We favour growth and revenue but mouth schemes for poverty alleviation. What is this growth. Market expansion thanks to the population. What is HDI? The value we place on human life and quality of life. To imagine a country run by an autocrat Mubarak had offered a better life to its peoples than what we are having for the majority.
Friends please read the Economic survey which precedes the budget. At the very least we must be informed and aware of the doublespeak that we swallow in our ignorance.
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