Passable Budget

In this age of economic challenges, it is difficult for any finance minister to come true on everybody's expectations, but it seems that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to do exactly the same, and as a result he restricted himself to someone who presented a passable budget. Indian economy is not going to get any noteworthy momentum through this budget, because there are not even indications of any revolutionary changes in any sector, so much so that steps have also not been taken in the expected direction of economic reforms.

Initiative for Fundamental Change
After all, for how long they would continue to give with one hand and take it away with the other through budget? It is also becoming clear now that if an initiative for fundamental change is made through one budget, it is ignored in the next budget, exactly in the manner as allocation is increased under some heads and reduced under others.
Sometimes, they try to please one class, and sometimes another class. The same exercise was done this time too, but perhaps halfheartedly. Had it not been so, mere Rs. 4 billion would not have been allocated in the name of Green Revolution.

Struggling With Severe Price Hike
It is difficult to understand why Green Revolution has been kept restricted to only the country's eastern part? Is it that other parts of the country apart from Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Orissa are overflowing with food grain?
The question also is what would be achieved with mere Rs.4 billion? This much sum is not enough even for one state. At a time when the country is struggling with severe price hike because of shortage of food grain, making symbolic and limited efforts for green revolution is a matter of concern. Similarly, negligible increase in defense budget is also beyond understanding.

Old and New Programs
The contours of the general budget are telling us that the kind of efforts that should have been made to rein in price rise have not been made. Undoubtedly, we should worry about the present, but not paying attention to the future could prove to be fatal. Is it not surprising that no concrete efforts have been made to control inflation when there is every likelihood of rise in it? The finance minister has made efforts to control fiscal deficit and has hoped that it would be reduced, but the economy is not dependent on honest intentions of rulers.
It is not necessary that the situations take the same shape as is being thought, especially looking at the fact that agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and agriculture is still dependent on rains. There is no surprise about it that the finance minister wished that the rain gods would shower their blessings. We cannot be pleased with the fact that the allocation for some old and new programs has been increased, because we have not yet been able to create a system that would also properly implement what the government says. This budget provides less relief and causes more concern, because there are some sectors that appear to be neglected, as before.