The Hindu Business Line : Union Budget

The Budget is faithful to the United Progressive Alliance's National Common Minimum Programme. Given the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram's acumen and ingenuity, it is hardly surprising that economic growth and social justice are so dexterously interwoven into it. Undoubtedly, it marks a break from the past and it is for the better. This is, indeed, a Budget that reflects the interests of the common people, at least to some extent, for the first time in several years, no matter how it is criticised by the "reformist" lobby. Among other things, the Budget is well received for its pro-farmer slant. As expected, it contains a number of farm-friendly proposals from doubling the flow of agricultural credit in three years, the accelerated irrigation benefit programme, restoration of water bodies for irrigation, water harvesting, diversification into horticulture, floriculture and oil-seeds, no hike in fertiliser prices, continuance of the present open-ended food grain procurement system and exemption to dairy machinery, tractors, sickles, spades and other hand tools from excise duty to tax incentives to use natural fibres such as cotton, silk and wool.

G. David Milton

Kunnuvila Maruthancode (TN)

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