Poor allocation of funds to key social sectors shows the government’s lacklustre approach to inclusive growth. We are reaching the end of a remarkable fiscal year,” said the finance minister as he rose to present the Union Budget 2011-12. Agreeing with the government that the year gone by presented us with several opportunities and challenges to address critical concerns pertaining to the social sector, the overall sense is that this Budget,...
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Food nod to Team Sonia by Radhika Ramaseshan
The budget is a “mixed bag” for the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, said members. It promises to bring in the National Food Security bill that the Congress chief hopes will signpost UPA-II’s continuing commitment to social and economic inclusion in the way that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act did UPA-I. But finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s restatement of the Centre’s position on indexing MNREGA wages to the consumer price...
More »How not to tackle the black economy in India by Arun Kumar
Technically, we know how to check the black economy but the problem is political. More studies or committees and treaties with foreign governments are only to stall action. Another Joint Parliamentary Committee has been announced. The government has been trying to create an impression of being proactive with regard to tackling the black economy. The President's address and the speech by Sonia Gandhi in January mentioned the need to curb it....
More »Ready for guillotining? by Richard Mahapatra
How transparent and participatory is Pranab Babu’s budget For six months it evolves under a veil of secrecy. The Cabinet gets to see it just a few hours before it is tabled in the Lok Sabha. Such is the covert nature of the Union budget that accounts for about 50 per cent of all budgets in the country. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee wants to make the budget what such a public affair...
More »Karnataka Budget gives prime place to agricultural sector by S Rajendran
Estimated expenditure on farm and irrigation sectors is Rs. 17,857 crore The agricultural sector has been given prime place in the State Budget presented to the Legislative Assembly on Thursday by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio. Mr. Yeddyurappa's focus on agriculture is reminiscent of the Union Budget presented by the first Janata Party Government of Morarji Desai in the post-Emergency era. The estimated expenditure on agriculture and irrigation...
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