Editor,
I thank Prof. Bhagirathi Panda & Prof. Sumarbin Umdor for their articulate analysis of the budget laying it thread- bare before the readers. No one can deny that the need of the day is to be pro- agrarian to address farmer distress, increase agricultural produce, bring down food prices and curb urban migration. Mr. Jaitley has not disappointed and has in fact dispelled the myth that the Modi Govt. was procorporate. They have even tweeked MNREGA which many believed was responsible for drawing the farm labour away, by attempting to move it back towards the agricultural sector by incorporating within its ambit a scheme for digging compost pits and water ponds. A large emphasis is being laid on neem- coated urea to curb and contain massive leakage of thousands of crores in fertilizer subsidy and to make it possible to identify the govt. supplied green colour urea in the black market. At the same time fertilizer subsidy reforms have been initiated by way of transfer of subsidy direct to the farmer’s account through DBT. Critics have argued on how it is not possible to double the farmer incomes in 5 years.
The answer is quite simple – If 54% of cultivated land in India is without irrigation and the Modi Govt. has undertaken an ambitious irrigation program, won’t that in itself result in multiple cropping possibilities? Besides the launch of the soil health card will help the farmers save huge wasteful expenditure on fertilizers by ascertaining the exact type of nutrient needed by his soil & crop. In school we read about how the cultivation of pulses which contain nitrogen fixing bacteria is good for the soil. Rs.500 crore has been set aside to encourage pulses and move away from cereals like rice & wheat of which we have abundant stocks. One has also to realize that the sedentary lifestyles of over 10 crore countrymen no longer require the intake of starch and energy rich rice & wheat rather protein rich pulses and vitamin rich fruits & vegetables are the need of the day to rid us of diet linked ailments like hi BP, diabetes etc.
The 100% rural electrification by May 2018 target of Mr Piyush Goyal will also be of immense help. On Prof. Umdor’s perception about the lack of outlay for skills for NER I would say that in today’s scenario there are any number of centrally sponsored placement linked quality & free training programs under the aegis of the labour & IT departments of each state with free training within the state and free lodging and training with institutes outside the state. So it is incumbent upon our youth to take full advantage of these schemes across sectors with seats a plenty. To the state governments which are always crying foul over central funding, I’d say – stop misleading the people. Use the extra 10% that you’ve got by way of central pool of divisible taxes, give the utilization certificates of the 40% first instalment of DONER schemes and at least make an attempt to get the balance 60% rather than wasting tax payers money on chopper joy rides and demolishing heritage Assam type buildings and spending hundreds of crores on RCC monstrosities. Utilise the money judiciously in paying salaries of teachers, ASHA midwives and scores of other casual workers of your very own government. To the Miners, quarry owners, loggers and the industrialist who argued on DDK Shillong post budget panel discussion about the demerits of doubling the coal cess and removal of the NEIPPP, and thereby the huge transport and other subsidies, I’d say give our forests and rivers a chance to rejuvenate else it is the human race which will wither and die and not mother nature.
Yous etc.,
Gagann Jain
Vice President,
Meghalaya BJP