Will it bring in an inclusive growth?

Pranab Mukherjee has spoken through his budget proposals which, let us hope, would bring in inclusive growth, without which the country cannot claim actual progress.

A country with five million people living below the poverty line, meaning a lot of them are going hungry every day, should be able to say this country’s progress belongs to them also.

Micro financing companies would get Rs 100 crore and poor people would remain linked to that. Would they be left out of the bigger banking system?

Bringing back Rs 140 lakh crore black money stashed abroad by politicians, businessmen, and other worthies is not an easy task. The Finance Minister says some five-step process is being pursued. That will not bring back the money.

Maybe, no government can outrightly say let the black money be brought back to the country, we will pardon you, or there could be some sort of voluntary disclosure. Perhaps, it would be better than leaving the gargantuan amount of money being kept abroad.

The US could get back their money from abroad because of their strength, other countries would answer to its call. Otherwise, it would pester them. India has not reached that stage in arm-twisting.

So dealing with black money is as good as left out.

Middle class people are taken care of, income tax ceiling limit hike, considering 60 year-olds as senior citizens, special provision for very senior citizens etc are definitely good.

The government says there would be direct payment of subsidies regarding cooking gas, kerosene and fertilizers for below-the-poverty line people.
There is a provision of Rs 1.61 lakh crore for food security, which should indirectly help the farm sector as well as the poor people. Rural employment payment would be inflation figures-based.

Would it finally end up with winding up our public distribution system and the ration shops?

For Kerala, there is a grant of Rs 100 crore for a veterinary unit at Pookode and Rs 50 crore for Malappuram campus of Aligarh Muslim University.

Kochi Metro has not found mention whereas other Metros have got provision.