FOC
The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) has said that the budget proposals clearly revealed the hidden objective of promoting globalisation and corporate interests and it is absolutely against the mandate. Commenting on the budget in New Delhi, the SJM convenor, Muralidhar Rao said though the new government had promised a revolution, but the budget has failed miserably to keep the promises made by Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. ?On the basis of CMP, the nation was expecting path-breaking changes regarding provisions for unorganised sector including agriculture and SSIs, which are facing unprecedented threat to their existence. The budget has failed to explicitly demonstrate any serious attempt in that direction. Actual provision for rural development is much less than the revised estimates of the Union Budget 2003-04. ?The present budget is nothing but a continuation of the policies started in 1991 and pursued by the successive governments and creating a virtual graveyard for SSIs. The handing over of the domestic market in critical sectors to foreigners by way of enhancing FDI cap in telecom, civil aviation and insurance sector, exposes the true intention of the UPA government. Proposed constitution of a Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) seems to be just another mechanism for disinvestments of public sector undertakings. The budget proposal lacks boldness and freshness. There is no originality in it. Apart from being casual and evasive on serious issues facing the Indian economy, it lacks the innovative approach,? Shri Rao said.
