People's Democracy

 Mobilise For Correcting Negative Aspects: AIKS 

THE finance minister’s commitment to improve the rural infrastructure and his assurance of implementing some positive aspects of CMP commitments to rural people is a welcome feature in the union budget 2005-06. But the limited allocations made for rural development does not definitely reflect the concern expressed by him in the budget speech. Further reduction of customs duty for imports of oil seeds will affect the lakhs of oil seed producers, who were already suffering a lot due to the fall in prices. The finance minister’s emphasis on crop-diversification goes against the basic national objective of ensuring self-sufficiency in food grains.

In fact, between 1990 and 2000, the growth rate of foodgrains in India is lesser than the growth rate of population, and it is feared that India will be net importer of foodgrains in the year 2015. So, the problem in the country has not been that we produce more than our need but there is insufficient purchasing power with the crores of poor people, especially the rural poor. The projects announced in the budget do not meet the requirement to increase the purchasing power of the rural poor.

The imposition of 50 paisa cess on petrol and diesel will have adverse impact and increase the input charges for agriculture which are already much high. The CKC calls upon its units to mobilise pubic opinion to pressurise the government to correct these negative aspects of the budget.