NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman made special references to farmers, women and youth in her budget speech on Tuesday. The three sections of society hold significance in the current scenario because of the politics surrounding them in the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.
Special mention by SItharaman of farmers, women and youth - the three sections of the society - hold significance in the current scenario because of the politics surrounding them in the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.
Farmers, particularly from election-bound Punjab and western UP besides Haryana, carried out a year-long protest from November 26, 2020 on three Delhi borders of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur against three farm reform laws. The farmers’ protest hogged the limelight forcing the Narendra Modi government to withdraw the laws.
Riding on the anti-government sentiments of the farmers, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) rival parties sought to derive political mileage out of the protests and make it an election issue.
The Congress, Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati-headed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are trying to woo the women voters while alleging that the BJP governments at the Centre and in poll-bound states did not create enough jobs as promised.
Congress general secretary in-charge of UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while leading election campaign in the state, has promised a whopping 40 per cent of the assembly tickets to women besides playing up the ‘Ladki hoon, ladki sakti hoon’ (I am a girl, I can fight) campaign.
Under these circumstances, the special mention of farmers, women and youth holds significance.
At the outset, Nirmala Sitharaman said: “This Budget continues to provide impetus for growth. It lays a parallel track of (1) a blueprint for the Amrit Kaal, which is futuristic and inclusive. This will directly benefit our youth, women, farmers, the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs). And (2) big public investment for modern infrastructure, readying for India at 100.”
She said this would be guided by PM GatiShakti and be benefited by the synergy of multi-modal approach. “Moving forward, on this parallel track, we lay the following four priorities: PM GatiShakti, Inclusive Development Productivity Enhancement and Investment, Sunrise Opportunities, Energy Transition, and Climate Action Financing of Investments.”
FARMERS
Besides scrapping the three farm laws, providing legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) was a major demand of the protesting farmers. Nirmala Sitharaman did mention MSP in her fourth budget speech.
She said, “The procurement of wheat in rabi 2021-22 and the estimated procurement of paddy in kharif 2021-22 will cover 1208 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and paddy from 163 lakh farmers, and Rs 2.37 lakh crore direct payment of MSP value to their accounts.”
She further said chemical-free natural farming would be promoted throughout the country with a focus on farmers’ lands in 5-km wide corridors along river Ganga, at the first stage.
The minister said railways would develop new products and efficient logistics services for small farmers and small and medium enterprises, besides taking the lead in integration of postal and railways networks to provide seamless solutions for movement of parcels.
She said 2023 has been announced as the International Year of Millets. “Support will be provided for post-harvest value addition, enhancing domestic consumption, and for branding millet products nationally and internationally,” she said.
The minister proposed that a rationalised and comprehensive scheme to increase domestic production of oilseeds would be implemented to reduce the country’s dependence on import of oilseeds.
She said a scheme in PPP mode would be launched for delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agri-tech players and stakeholders of agri-value chain.
In a major announcement, Sitharaman said the use of ‘Kisan Drones’ would be promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insecticides, and nutrients. “States will be encouraged to revise syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition and management,” she said.
She said the Centre would provide a comprehensive package with the participation of state governments for farmers to adopt suitable varieties of fruits and vegetables, and to use appropriate production and harvesting techniques.
WOMEN
Nirmala Sitharaman said the Modi government has comprehensively revamped the schemes of the ministry of women and child development to recognise the importance of “Nari Shakti” as the harbinger of the country’s bright future and for women-led development during the Amrit Kaal. “Accordingly, three schemes, namely, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 were launched recently to provide integrated benefits to women and children,” she said.
She said Saksham Anganwadis are a new generation anganwadis that have better infrastructure and audio-visual aids, powered by clean energy and providing improved environment for early child development. Two lakh anganwadis will be upgraded under the scheme, she added.
Sitharaman said nearly half the country’s population is likely to be living in urban areas by the time India is 100. To prepare for this, orderly urban development is of critical importance. This would help realise the country’s economic potential, including livelihood opportunities for the demographic dividend.
She said, “For this, on the one hand we need to nurture the megacities and their hinterlands to become current centres of economic growth. On the other hand, we need to facilitate tier 2 and 3 cities to take on the mantle in the future.”
Sitharaman further said, “This would require us to reimagine our cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, including women and youth. For this to happen, urban planning cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach. We plan to steer a paradigm change.”
YOUTH
The finance minister referred to ‘PM GatiShakti’ to highlight the government’s initiative for creating “huge job” and entrepreneurial opportunities, especially the youth.
She said, “PM GatiShakti is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development. The approach is driven by seven engines, namely, roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics infrastructure.”
She said all seven engines would pull forward the economy in unison. These engines are supported by the complementary roles of energy transmission, IT communication, bulk water and sewerage, and social infrastructure, she said.
“Finally, the approach is powered by clean energy and sabka prayas – the efforts of the central government, the state governments and the private sector together – leading to huge job and entrepreneurial opportunities for all, especially the youth,” Sitharaman said.
She said the government would set up an animation, visual effects, gaming and comic (AVGC)
AVGC Promotion Task Force as the sector offers immense potential to employ youth.
“An AVGC promotion task force with all stakeholders will be set up to recommend ways to realise this and build domestic capacity for serving our markets and the global demand,” she said.
On sunrise opportunities, the finance minister said artificial Intelligence, geospatial systems and drones, semiconductor and its eco-system, space economy, genomics and pharmaceuticals, green energy, and clean mobility systems have immense potential to assist sustainable development at scale and modernise the country.
“They provide employment opportunities for youth, and make Indian industry more efficient and competitive,” she said.
