Asim won’t walk CM’s talk on industry

The Budget proposed an expenditure of Rs 76,432.07 crore and a revenue receipt of Rs 76,318.07 crore,plus Rs 110 crore of additional revenue to be mobilised through increase in taxes. It leaves a budget deficit of Rs 4 crore.

The highlights of the budget presented by Dr Dasgupta was a pronounced stress on job creation in a state where,according to the latest Economic Review presented along with the Budget,there are over 63 lakh educated unemployed as per the state’s live register of job-seekers.

Besides,if the Budget was any reflection of the state’s development priorities,industry is no more the focus area of the Left Front government. While highlighting the need for the development of agricultural sector,the government has virtually rolled back from its earlier agenda for reforms and industrialisation,instead giving more attention to the grants,subsidies and dole-outs for the poor.

The allocation for agriculture and allied sectors saw a quantum jump,registering an increase of about Rs 646 crore. It included an increase of Rs 50 crore in agricultural outlay,Rs 22 crore in horticulture and food processing,Rs 250 crore in minor irrigation,Rs 245 crore in major irrigation and Rs 27 crore animal resources over previous year.

The outlay for industry has been increased merely by Rs 50 crore,up from Rs 350 crore in the current 2009-10 to Rs 400 crore. The raise in the information technology sector is about Rs 7 crore. The finance minister acknowledged that the rate of growth for the IT-enabled services has fallen from 36 per cent in 2007-8 to 24 per cent in 2008-09.

But the most significant step in the proposed Budget seemed to be an announcement relating to distribution of ownership rights over land already under possession of the landless poor. The state government has decided to give the ownership rights (up to five cottahs of land) to those agricultural labourers,rural artisans and fishermen who are possessing homestead land before December 31,2009,but did not have the ownership rights over it. It will benefit more than 200,000 families in the state,the Budget noted.

Yet another thrust area was the re-strengthening of the public distribution system for which the state has proposed a subsidy of Rs 700 crore. Dasgupta said in the next financial year,the distribution of rice to people below poverty line (BPL) at a price of Rs 2 per kg through ration shops will continue. The benefit will be extended to another 20 per cent of the people who are in the above poverty line (APL) but are still poor. The government has planned to procure 18 lakh metric tonnes of rice for this purpose.

Ahead of the Kolkata municipal polls,the state budget also allocated Rs 250 crore on account of urban employment guarantee scheme for the financial year 2010-2011. Under this scheme,unemployed persons living in urban areas can be engaged as a worker or as a supervisor for implementation or maintenance of ant project of the state government or the concerned municipality on a daily wage of Rs 100 for labourers and Rs 120 for supervisors. Apart form the Kolkata municipal polls,elections to over 80 municipality are also due in May this year.

Financial assistance for workers of industries closed for more than one year has been enhanced from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500. About 34,527 workers will be benefited as a result of this decision. Pension for old age,disabled,widow,artisans,weavers,farmers and fishermen have been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

The state government also proposed for establishment of 1,000 primary schools,2,900 junior high schools and upgrade of 900 high schools to higher secondary schools. Moreover,2,000 additional vocational training centres,25 new ITI s and 20 new colleges will be set up this year. A special initiative will be taken to conduct courses on management and information technology on the campuses of 100 general degree colleges.

Later,addressing a press conference in the evening,Dr Dasgupta said,“Employment generation and pushing the growth of state domestic product forward are the two main objectives of this Budget. My endeavour has been to enable as many people as possible to reap the benefit of the state government’s policies.”

One of the salient features of the Budget is to accord ownership rights to illegal settlers on government land in rural areas. Dasgupta called it the second phase of land reforms. “We have seen people can work wonders if they get this kind of land. The government will allot five cottahs of land to every family who cannot only build houses there. They can start farming on a piece of land. They will be able to procure loan to build their houses,” he said.

On extending the scope of providing rice at Rs 2 per kg to those in the lowest strata of the APL group,Dasgupta said,“At present,2.64 crore people in the BPL list benefit from this scheme. The number will increase. We have already made a survey and those who are eligible in the APL list have been identified.”

The welfare play
* Ownership rights (up to five cottahs of land) for those poor who are possessing homestead land before December 31,2009. More than 200,000 families to benefit
* 20 per cent of the people who are in the above poverty line (APL) but are still poor can avail of rice at Rs 2 per kg. 18 lakh metric tonnes of rice to be procured for the purpose
* 1,000 primary schools and 2,900 junior high schools to be set up; 900 high schools to be upgraded to higher secondary schools. 2,000 additional vocational training centres,25 new ITI s and 20 new colleges to be set up this year
* More facilities to 1.5 lakh temporary government employees who have been working for more than 10 years