Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 6: Finding fault in annual budget for year 2013-2014 presented by Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather in State Assembly today, Opposition parties term it directionless and old wine in new bottles.
Reacting to the budget CPI (M), MLA Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami termed it mere tokenism as there is no substance in it.
He said the issues facing the State at present have not been mentioned in the budget and no alternatives were suggested to overcome them. The problems of the industry have not been addressed and there was no announcement of social welfare measures and only token announcements were made.
Tarigami said likewise there is no mention about the welfare schemes for militancy victims and Panchyat members killed by militants. The budget is also directionless how to contain price rise and inflation, he added.
He said Sarpanchs have been given Rs 2000 honorarium per month while Rs 600 have been given to Panchs which is an injustice with them. Moreover there is no mention about casual laborers whether in PDD or NYC, no mention about agriculture and horticulture as how to built the infrastructure to increase produce. The employees facing pay anomalies have been neglected completely and overall it is a non-populist budget, he added.
MLA Jammu West and senior leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta termed the budget a balance sheet like that of a commission agent having little to invest and get his share with hardly any accountability.
He said despite Jugglery of figures and high claims, it is evident that the dependence at the Centre is galloping. Over 85 percent State expenses are to be met with the grants and assistance from the Centre, he added.
Prof Gupta said the receipts from internal resources on non tax revenue do not match with the increasing revenue from taxes. This indicates the plight of the poor performance of the economic expenditure, he added.
He said the taxes revenue, over 75 percent receipt of the collections are from Jammu region, so much so about 90 percent Excise revenue, a major source of tax collection is from Jammu areas, but on the expenditure side the share of Jammu is awfully little indicating regional bias.
He said no care has been taken to provide relief to the suffering masses who are under the burden of the soaring prices and the ever increasing unemployment. No mention has also been made to the problems of refugees and migrants as also to the educated and trained youth who are already on the roads.
NPP leader and MLA Ramnagar, Harshdev Singh termed the budget a total tokenism ignoring the aspirations of people of Jammu region.
He said there were passing references about Mubarak Mandi Cable Car and Patnit op Cable Car projects in the budget while no mention was made about the farmers who are the back bone of the country and whose crops have been totally damaged.
Though bad pockets and backward areas should have been priority of the Government but there is no mention of the same in the budget. There is nothing new in the budget and it is the photocopy of previous budget after changing the figures only, he added.
Singh said there is no mention that how to remove the regional imbalances and no justice has been given to rural people who form 80 percent of State’s population and majority of whom are backward, he added.
He regretted that passing reference was made to Surinsar, Mansar Lakes in Jammu region while Rs 1100 crore have been got for Dal Lake and Rs 386 crore for Wular Lake of Kashmir valley.
The work on mal road at Kud Patnitop started 10 years back has been abandoned. No reference made about the SPOs and VDCs who are doing a commendable job, Harshdev Singh added.
Terming the budget disappointing BJP leader and MLA Jammu East, Ashok Khajuria said there is nothing in it that will benefit the people of State.
He sought a clarification from Government what Beti Anmol is and stressed that all expenses of education of a girl child be borne by Government right from her birth.
Not satisfied with the honorarium announced for Saprpanchs and Panchs, Khajuria said they have been paid less than daily wagers and demanded that their honorarium be increased. Moreover there is no mention about the security of Panchs and Sarpanchs in the budget, he added.
Criticising the budget JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma said there is no provision in the budget how to tackle the rising unemployment. Likewise the farmers who constitute 80 percent of the population have been altogether ignored in the budget and removal of VAT only can’t provide succor to them. The farmers should have been priority in the budget but they have been totally neglected, he added.
Terming the honorarium of Rs 2000 for Sarpanchs and Rs 600 for Panchs an injustice with them, he said noting has been done for bettering the lot of common man in this budget.
He said the Rs 2 crore earmarked for daughters of widows is not a sufficient amount.
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