Spotlight

PC Has Promises To Keep….

New Delhi, February 28, (INFA): Not one, but three promises are what Finance Minister P Chidambaram chose to make to the nation on this Budget Day. And, he made these on behalf of the UPA-II Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The three in order were to: the women, the youth and the poor—the crucial voters of the nation as of today.

While there are no absolute statistics on the “three faces that represent the vast majority of the people”, the Finance Minister has done remarkably well in setting his and the Government’s eyes on them for General Election 2014. Undeniably, there are more women voters than men across all States and they come out in larger numbers to vote, according to the Election Commission; India has the largest youth population in the world; and the poor are the underprivileged who prize their vote because it gives them power without money.

To the women, Chidambaram assures dignity and safety, through a Nirbhaya Fund with a contribution of Rs 1,000 crore. What shall be the scope, application, structure of this fund has been left to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and concerned ministries to work out. Another Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside to train the youth in different skills to “boost employability and productivity”. And for the poor, the Finance Minister has reiterated his resolve giving “aapka paisa, aapke haat” (your money in your hands) through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme, during the term of UPA-II across the country.

The Finance Minister also has chosen to give a boost to young Gandhi family scion Rahul, passion for Rural India. While allocations ranging from Rs 3,511 crore to 37,330 crore have been made to Ministries of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Health, Education Minorities Affairs, the Ministry of Rural Development Rural, which “steers a number of flagship programmes” of the UPA-II, has clearly got a bonanza of Rs 80,194 crore—an increase of 46 per cent. 

To set aside doubts, if any among the marginalised section of society about his sincerity, the FM has proposed to tax the rich further and make their passion for imported cars costlier. But he believes there is “a little bit of the spirit of Azim Premji in every affluent tax payer” and therefore confident that when “I ask the relatively prosperous to bear a small burden for one year, just one year, they will do so cheerfully.”  

Yes, it’s only a question of one year. There’s time till 2014. After that, if it comes back, the UPA could have a rethink, appears to be an indication. But from now on, the Government has made its choice. It is Garibi hatao (remove poverty), the famous slogan of Indira Gandhi along with the UPA-II’s mool mantra of “inclusive growth”.

Will it work? One should only hope that Chidambaram remembers Robert Frost and his famous lines: “The woods are lovely dark and deep but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.”---INFA

New Delhi