Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: Dr Arindam Chaudhuri and IIPM Think Tank’s 18 Alternate Budget for 2019 – “Will This be Modi’s Last Mann ki Baat” was presented by Dr Arindam Chaudhuri on his brand new Radio Show, recently.
The budget focuses on the concepts of Basic Universal Income, Housing for all and 10 lakh worth Medical Insurance for all. The suggestions also included complete abolishment of Income Tax. One of the key resource mobilization plan focuses upon the concept of Vice Tax to be levied on the what Dr Chaudhuri terms as a giant killer- Sugar amongst other products.
The proposals had immediate impact. Rahul Gandhi yesterday announced that if voted to power his party will give universal basic min income to all Indians. And Modis ads promising housing for all started running on radio channels in Delhi. Coincidentally both the things started from 28th Jan within just a week of Dr Arindam’s Alternate Budget presentation for the nation.
Dr Arindam Chaudhuri, whose alternate budgets have been presented on almost all different National TV channels over the years, said, “Our alternate budgets have always been ahead of times and very impactful. We spoke of replacing all normal light bulbs and tube lights with CFLs thirty years back when the first Alternate Budgets was announced by my father and founder director of IIPM, Dr Malay Chaudhuri. We then moved on to suggesting the making of Diesel prices the same as Petrol prices when they were only about 25 to 33 percent of petrol prices. Unfortunately the mobilization plans have been mostly picked up by the Governments but the allocation suggestions which we also outlined in our book -The Great Indian Dream-were rarely implemented. This time therefore I was more emphatic about the things the nation needs instead of the ways of collecting resources, which are endless. I am glad to see that political parties have immediately taken a note and at least a discussion has started on the same.”
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