The Hindu Business Line : ‘Budget for next general election, not next generation’

There is lot in the budget for the next general election but little for the next generation except provision for education which is path breaking and has long-term connotations.

Mr Bhavarlal Jain, Chairman, Jain Irrigation Systems.

This budget is essentially an agriculture and a social sector budget. Both these sectors have been neglected for decades. Hence, whatever has been attempted is welcome and the Finance Minister deserves all kudos.

Short term

More particularly, the debt waiver scheme could have been structured in such a manner that would have made the farmers self reliant. In short, he has provided only a relief based on symptoms, not a remedy for long term revival of farm production. It is a matter of regret that unholy haste has been made and that short-term objectives are kept in view rather than long-term national interests.

There are, however, significant investments in sectors like water resources, wherein under AIBP, allocations have been almost doubled. Similarly, the food security and the national horticulture allocations have also been consequently enhanced. The rain-fed farmers which constitute over 80 per cent of the total lot have been neglected because they generally borrow from the money lenders and the unorganised market. Consequently, they neither get relief nor get the benefits of OTS. Resultantly, agricultural productivity and production on account of debt waiver is unlikely to register any growth.

In fact, RAPP which has received an allocation of 350 crore should have received 35,000 crore because, through that watershed development schemes could have been successfully implemented and even the rain-fed farmers could have benefited. One could also provide rainwater farm ponds, solar pump sets and possibly an open well for such rain-fed farmers.

However, that may not have brought significant changes in the coming election. In short, there is lot in the budget for the next general election but little for the next generation except provision for education which is path breaking and has long-term connotations. All of the goodies are wonderfully structured only with one objective. Experience has been that pre-election budgets generally do not reach the objectives for which they have been designed.

However, for Jain Irrigation the budget gives a tremendous fillip because both water and irrigation sectors as well as agri debt relief package will open up new areas of thrust for its whole range of products, particularly Micro Irrigation, PVC Pipes and Food Processing..

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