It was expected that the Government will try to give a populist budget keeping an eye on the coming general elections. But the budget is a complete disappointment, reacted BJP national president Rajnath Singh while talking to Organiser.
Since the last two years, the BJP was building pressure on the UPA government to take care of the farmers? concern. To make the agriculture sector more strong and stable, our party had organised a massive rally at Ramlila Grounds in Delhi where lakhs of farmers from all over the country were congregated. In the recently held Party'snational council also, we had raised these problems of farmers. ?Whatever loan waiver has been granted by the UPA government, we congratulate it. But I am sorry to mention that there is nothing in the budget for the sustainability of the agriculture sector. Once again the farmers would be facing the burden of the loans. So, it is not the permanent solution. The government has waived the bank loans of small farmers, but there is no plan to give relief to large number of farmers, who are trapped in the clutches of private money-lenders?, he said. While I was Union Agriculture Minister, I had suggested guaranteed income for the agricultural land. I had suggested the Farm Income Insurance Scheme which is different from Crop Income Insurance Scheme. In Crop Insurance Scheme, only the produce is insured, but in case of Farm Income Insurance Scheme both produce and price are insured. From this a guaranteed income for the farmers for every year is decided. So the Farm Income Insurance Scheme should be adopted, so that the farmers are protected from any natural disaster also.
The growth rate in agriculture is again a dismal 2.6 per cent. No reduction in the interest rate of agriculture loan despite the persistent demand of bringing it to 4 per cent and at the same time the farmers should get the benefit of one year moratorium in the first year of the loan,? he said. The farmers who have taken loan from money-lenders are not covered under the loan write-off scheme. What is the UPA plan to help these farmers who are in a majority, he added. The government has tried to give a tip to the farmers but has given nothing to empower them.
Now it is clear that roti, kapda aur makan will consistently become scarce for the common man in the coming years.
?I had myself demanded to raise the Income Tax limit to 1.5 lakh in the presidential address of our National Council. But since the 6th Pay Commission will become effective from this year, the increase in the IT limit will have practically no meaning?, he said.
?This Budget has set up an unprecedented and ignominious record of communal budgeting in the history of India. Which remind us the Communal Award of British time?, he observed.
?Today the entire economy is on the low, the interest rates are high, the inflation is high, the agriculture growth is miserably low. All this indicates that under the four-year rule of UPA, our economy has been afflicted with various diseases. But government is only trying to cure the symptoms not diseases. So, I am quite skeptical about the real solution of problems in coming times,? Shri Singh said.
