With the Union Budget round the corner, lot of expectations, debates, TV Shows are doing the rounds. The Euphoria of the Budget is slightly diminished now-a-days with reference to announcement of new projects and policies. The Ministries, now-a-days announce projects and policies as and when they deem fit, any time during the financial year.
Everyone is eyeing at what we can get from the Government. I don’t want to go into detail of what I would like to see in this Budget or what would be an ideal budget. My question is very simple. Are we right in expecting the Government to be goody-goody to us? Shouldn’t we worry about the deficit? Shouldn’t we sacrifice something from our side and try to push the government to work towards eradicating poverty?
Every Government inherits, Debts, Deficits, Poverty, Insufficient Food Stock, Poor Infrastructure and a whole lot of problems and leaves behind the same set of problems to the next government as if these are an ancestral property – a Heritage.
When will they put an end to this? Funds are often allotted in budgets to address some of these issues. Where does this Funds go? Why we have not been able to reduce some of these problems all these years.?
India needs around ½ Trillion US Dollars to address the six main infrastructure sectors, namely, Roads, Ports, Railways, Airports, Telecommunication and Energy. From where are these funds going to come. Are we going to look for World Bank, IMF or FDI to fund these. If the Government invests partially and invite Private sector to contribute the remaining, still the amount is huge. This will only add up to the Governments existing Loans.
What is the amount required to eradicate Poverty in India? Any figure? India is rich with poverty and for us to bring poverty to poverty, what plans are in place? Where are these funds going to come from?
What is more important? Reducing Deficit, Reducing Loans, Eradicating Poverty, Improving Infrastructure or give good sops so that we can have a wonderful growth in economy by maintaining the same poverty levels? What is the priority?
The problems of the past have become so strong and deep, it is not possible to resolve them quickly. Assuming a good government has will to take necessary steps, still a 5 year period is not enough to get rid of our curse. One might argue that all the governments in the past have made plans and allocated funds to remove poverty. If that is true and effective, the poverty levels should have been very low now than six decades ago.
Only the Government which does not think about the next election, can bring about change and do the best to eradicate poverty. I suggest a separate Poverty Eradication Department (PED) be set up and someone from the public life be made head of it. Government should allocate budget for this Department every year. This department should have centers in all rural areas and implement suitable programs to remove poverty.
NGOs have surely contributed a lot towards addressing poverty. There are some charity foundations who are doing an excellent job as well. The PED should identify such NGOs and Charity Foundations and consider utilizing their expertise and infrastructure in effectively utilizing the funds in removing Poverty.
It would also be not a bad idea if donors send in funds directly to this department, for or without any tax benefit. NRIs like myself are ready to contribute to this. One Year of Charity Shows by our Film Fraternity can bring in lot of funds to this department. All that is required is a creditable face to run the department. I am sure that this department can get lot of volunteers to share inputs and to serve them in whatever way possible at the implementation levels.
We should not be sitting and waiting for the Governments to make policies and plans to remove Poverty. It is a known secret that whatever money that has been allocated in the past in the form various projects has not fully reached the intended purpose. How long we will be crying about it. The Government should set up PED and leave it as an autonomous body. If appropriate, bring it under the President of India or the Supreme Court. This poverty issue is a very important issue and should not be left for any Party to handle this as they might very well manipulate things for political gains. Poverty and inequality indirectly pushes good people to think bad, to do bad and even take up to extremism and terrorism.
If Government does not act now, it won’t be long before the people start such movements.
JAGOO MOHAN PYARE !!!
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