A BUDGET OF HOPE
The new Government of India is in the process of restoring and renew its
credibility. The finance minister is busy consulting all sectors of the economy
to obtain their views and suggestions, in this process the Aam Aadmi should be
an integral part of an inclusive Consultation to complete this exercise and
give expression to the needs of nearly 50% of our population who are the core
of our labour force.
I have been emboldened to write this wish list on behalf of an aam aadmi in
response to the repeated statements of the new Government of India (GOI) that
their objectives were to focus all action and programmes on the aam aadmi. The
wish list may otherwise not come to the notice of the policy and decision
makers.
Aam Aadmi has lived (if you can call it that) in this country for as long as
recorded history, he is landless and belongs to the SC or ST, and if employed
it is in the unorganized sector or he may be unemployed, each sector holds
about 30 crore poor. With all this information he has not been reached so far
over the last 60 years and “garibi” has not been removed.
If I aam aadmi have a job it is by working with my hands as laborer. Today I am
listed as living below the poverty line. The GOI defines this as earning of
Rs.300pm (Rs.10 a day). The global definition is $1.25 a day (Rs.55 a day) the
estimates are that there are 456 millions below the poverty line, neither one
of these earnings will buy me minimum recommended calories (at today’s prices)
as a result the poor Aam Aadmi is priced out of their human right of access to
food with the recent rise in prices of food, I felt I had misheard the slogan
(Garibi Hatao) and the new slogans was now “garib ko hatao” without access to
food, in this land of birth of Gautam and Gandhi This bring me to my first wish
for survival.
- Food be made available at affordable prices this requires on
immediate strengthening and upgrade of the public distribution system to make
it efficient, free of pilferage, and a well stocked, delivery system. Sixty
years is a long lead time to construct and perfect a system that services
nearly 50% of the population, the GOI must hold inflation and keep price of
food items low, for the poor do not live by calories alone. He needs some dal
and vegetable, milk too becomes desirable if he has children, all these items
need be a part of PDS service in the new India.
- The Supreme Court and the poor feel that there is a greater dignity
to life if food we eat is earned through labour with their own hand and body
and not charity. This necessitates the creation of jobs, these will be in
sector where major inputs are required for the growth of the Indian economy.
Two important areas that come to mind are:
a) In infrastructure (i.e. Roads, Waterways, and Communication)
b) Energy Sector
These inputs create jobs and earnings in rural and urban locations.
- Health care needs are most urgent scince clean air, water and food
are expensive, and not available to all, care of the negatively impacted humans
is an immediate need.
- The infrastructure for health care is already in place (22,000 PHC,
4400 district hospitals). They need staffing and functional up gradation of
supplies and linking up with district hospital and medical school hospitals for
consultation and advanced care when required this will make the public sector
care access able cost effective and equitable. If the public health care system
has computer records. It can now produce vital data on desease prevalence and
aid future health care planners.
- The very fact that reservation in education has been a matter of
debate, reveals our shortage in this important field, an expansion of our
vocational and higher education fields to keep pace with demand will remove the
need for reservation and reintroduce competitiveness as a principal in
education and the India Economy and insure the future of all coming generation.
- Security of life and property of citizen has to be delivered through
our internal and external security system to replace faith in Government. They
need an overhaul and a change in mindset of security agencies from a current
disaster management after the event role, to a new disaster prevention
objective based on valid intelligence and quick counter terror units.
- Water is an element of life. Our lack of water conservation and
water harvesting is making life (urban/ rural) difficult. Ground water
recharging (Lakes + ponds) joining of rivers to tide over lean periods. The
final objective being provision of safe drinking water, for all.
- Rigid adherence to reduction in carbon footprint and promotion of
sustainable Development goals will cut environmental pollution and provide
clean air. The growth goals should have environment goals embedded in the
objectives and details of all projects.
- A major thrust in rural infrastructure building to improve surface
connectivity of local communities. A community centre communication services,
including power, broadband telecommunication, for use of the community for
human development and the facilities partners (industry) can use it for market
information and access. This will connect rural Aam Aadmi to the realities of
the rest of India.
- Poverty has remained with us for its political value, it provides us
with slogans and a gullible voting class. The socially sensitive are now aware
of how painful and debilitating, this state of poverty can be that it allows so
many to exit in silence. Poverty need never be politicized. It must be sought
out irrespective of caste or religion fed, nurtured, and monitored to confirm
the success of our endeavors of our garibi hatao programme.
GOI must remove all name linking of poverty alleviation programme. India has
been always known for its anonymous philanthropy the GOI should not create new
indebtedness while providing what is every ones birthright. All these
programmes must have a human development and enabling component.
Non of the above wish list can be achieved without a change in mindset of our
leaders and political parties. They need to think in terms of bipartisan
national goals instead of short term election compulsions. This platform of
bipartisan national goal makes them reachable with ease within our lifetimes.
Then will a vital Indian democracy endure and inspire us and other countriers.
Dr Manmohan Kapur
Yeah .. even i feel being a AAM AADMI . where does those 30% of my effort goes
? while those businessmen or politicians do they pay tax properly ? I really
want to see where my tax money goes and sits. I bet it will be in Some donation
to God or some party Fund or some admin pockets. I havent seen a penny on any
infrastructure development , Road is same spoilt one , electicity same
condition .
I bet forget the Swiss banks . Raid all ( I mean everyone ) In
Administration , al MPs all MLAs and all Police authorities, all Supported
Gunda's , Dada's . Blackmoney in form is medical colleges schools started by
them for business :) I tell you will will get multiple time foreign debt what
we have .
And thats were AAM AADMI's Tax money lying accumulated through last 60+
years :) .. India is poor but Indian are rich .
Wish our law stands same for all .
Ajay Raj
True. One may ignore it as saying it is personal. But it is not so. They have
accumulated this wealth by duping the government. The same money was used to
for operation 'Kamal' to bring MLAs of other Partiesd to BJP. These Reddy
brothers are plundering the state natural resources and bribe the god to wash
their sin. This way they treat the god on par with Sales and Income tax
officers. If god is there they should be punished for spoiling God's name.
Maneshwar Nayak
There has been a discussion that good people should come into politics. But
with black money, it seems impossible. The panchayat elections has taught
people to demand money from candidates. We saw the same attitude of voters in
the ensuing elections,
THe aloofness of politicians has some extent contributed to this phenomenon
where the voters also thinks that this good for nothing fellow should cough up
some money than doing nothing for me.
We need to attack the politicians distributing favours in complete disregard to
their constitutional obligations , than may be they will think twice before
investing such huge sum of money
Biswajit Padhi
