Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: While participating in general discussion on the Budget 2018-19 in Legislative Assembly, opposition members sought to grill the Government for its alleged failure in taking care of all sectors while ruling party MLAs described the budget proposals as progressive.
Terming Budget 2018-19 as total theoretical and anti-commoner, National Conference MLA, Ali Mohd Sagar accused Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu of eroding financial autonomy of the State by implementing GST in J&K.
He alleged that there was nothing concrete to improve economy of the State and generate employment for the youth for whom only Rs 20 crore have been earmarked in more than Rs 80 thousand crore budget. “You closed down the previous Government scheme of giving employment and put so many ifs and buts for the regularization of daily rated workers, whose number is being projected to increase mysteriously from 60 thousand to around one lakh,” he said and dubbed earmarking of small amounts for different sectors as distribution of chiller.
Seeking renewed measures to help and support the traders affected due to implementation of GST in the State so as to help in recovery of State economy, Sagar also called for focused efforts to promote setting up of poultry, sheep units in the State adding that growth of these sectors are essential to reduce State imports. He also drew attention towards lack of sufficient consideration in the budget for 2014 flood victims
Initiating today’s discussion, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI (M) said that many sectors including Agriculture and Horticulture, the core sectors of the State need major impetus by way of reforms to strengthen State economy. He said the Budget should include targeted reforms aimed at welfare of farming community especially those living in far flung areas of the State. He also called for provision for reforms in Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department to support and encourage people to establish dairy, sheep and poultry units and taking up this field as their profession.
Pointing towards no budget provision for artisans of the State, he requested for action in this regard. He also called for an enhancement in honorarium in favour of Anganwari helpers and Anganwari workers.
Sat Pal Sharma of BJP, while taking part in the discussion, termed the budget proposals as growth oriented and said that budget contains development oriented measures aimed at every section of the society. He said that the provisions kept in the budget for improvement of rural industries will help generate employment avenues for educated unemployed youth, especially in rural areas while the new policy of giving incentives to those posted in rural areas would check corruption in transfers.
Hailing several initiatives, including the decision of implementing 7th Pay Commission recommendations, release of 1 percent DA to the employees, he asked for provisions for increasing of afforestation drives, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and others social welfare campaigns in the State. He also asked for further strengthening the agri and horticulture reforms by earmarking at least Rs 25 crore provisions for mango, lichi, aloe vera apricot etc. He also demanded general amnesty for power defaulter.
Yawar Ahmad Mir of PDP strongly repulsed the opposition attacks on budget proposals and said the initiatives, including implementation of 7th Pay Commission, employee welfare measures like mediclaim policy, accidental insurance, increase in DA for the State employees were achievements of the Government. “SRO-520 is the biggest achievement while implementation of 7th Pay Commission is the proof that this Government has been taking care of its employee,” he said and added that the Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu has taken care of all major and minor concerns.
Terming the Budget as people friendly, Yawar Mir said that the proposals cater to needs of poor and marginalized sections of the society. He also asked for special focus of the Government towards development and growth of Sopore Mandi.
Participating in the debate PDP’s Javed Beig in his revolutionary speech while lauding the various pro -people steps taken in the budget also highlighted some short comings and regretted that even after 70 years of independence of the country the poor are at the receiving end.
Beig, while complimenting the Government and Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu for solving the problems of the employees without any struggle or forcing them to come to streets, termed it a welcome step. He said the opposition should have also welcomed this step of the Government.
The PDP MLA from Baramulla said the Government inherited the problems from previous dispensation which also inherited the same from its predecessors. He said the problem of daily wagers was a grave cause of concern for all of us as they were working on paltry Rs 3000 since a long time.
Maintaining that power was a great industry for the State but he regretted that the Government has surrendered its rights, likewise the Auqaf had a lot of land which has been encroached upon. Even horticulture is in shambles as there is no proper facility of irrigation, he added.
He said it is unfortunate that after 70 years of freedom the Government failed to provide house to slum dwellers and construct toilets for all. He said 58 percent of wealth is with one percent of rich people while 42 percent is with 99 percent poor. Poor is becoming poor day by day while rich is become richer. It is really unfortunate that in last 70 years justice could not be done to poor, he added.
Beig said due to present turmoil no industrialist is ready to set up the units in the State and likewise foreigners are also not ready to invest in India due to Indo-Pak hostilities. Ridiculing the claims to compete China, he said China is progressing because it has contained population and it will take centuries to compete China. “The main cause of failure on our part to become self sufficient is that we failed to exploit the resources at our disposal”, he added.
Beig also took Government to task for not doing enough on women empowerment and education to all despite the fact that the education is a fundamental right.
NC’s Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar while participating in the debate termed the 2018-19 Budget as Mongery Lal Key Suneray Supney (selling of Mongery Lal’s golden dreams). He said that nothing has been done for poor unemployed and youth in this budget while horticulture and agriculture sectors were totally neglected. Nothing has been kept for Animal Husbandry and Sheep Husbandry to increase the mutton and milk production in the State in this budget despite the fact that State spends Rs 20,000 crore on purchase of mutton, he added.
Jabbar said though we talk of white revolution but what steps were taken for the same and Finance Minister has done nothing to boost floriculture and if this sector is given boost State will generate a revenue of Rs 5000 crore. Moreover horticulture was also ignored and nothing was done to revive the defunct schemes in PHE and Irrigation, he added.
People Conference MLA from Kupwara advocate Bashir Ahmed Dar while showing concern over growing corruption stressed on curbing the same from Government offices.
He said the employees were given their rights and their demands were solved and now responsibility shifts on them for proper utilization of funds. They should come forward to dispensate justice to the poor while lauding the Government decision to regularize 60,000 daily wagers.
Dar also expressed concern over lack of doctors in hospitals and said though State spends lakhs on their training they prefer to serve outside State and this trend should be stopped.
Participating in the debate BJP’s Dr Devinder Manyal welcomed various initiatives taken by the Government in budget including regularization of casual laborers, waiving off of various toll taxes and implementation of 7th Pay Commission.
He also appreciated measures taken by the Government for simplifying the documentation process for employees to access and withdraw their G P Fund at the time of superannuation, besides complimenting it for introducing medi-claim insurance policy for non gazetted employees.
PDP’s Abdul Majid Paddar termed the budget people-friendly which is aimed at uplifting every section of the society. He congratulated the Finance Minister for presenting a successful budget that delivers on major demands including measures for boosting tourism sector, provisions to provide employment opportunities to unemployed youth besides fulfilling the demands of Government employees and daily rated workers.
Padder also lauded Government efforts to revive the silk factory in Jammu and the special budgetary allocations for development of horticulture and agriculture sectors in the State.
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