CPI CONDEMNS THIS BUDGET

The Budget of 2010-11 as presented by Pranab Mukherjee is shocking. When the Parliament has discussed price rise only yesterday, the government itself admitting food price explosion is nearly 20 per cent, the Budget today imposed a duty of 5 per cent on crud petroleum, 7.5 per cent on diesel and petrol and 10 per cent on other refined products. As a result, the price of petrol and diesel will increase by nearly Rs. 3 per litre. Fertiliser prices are also set to go up. It will severely escalate further food prices due to increased cost of transportation. Communist Party of India strongly condemns this anti-people move.

While Mr. Mukherjee has admitted that agricultural growth is negative today obviously leading to decline in the availability of foodgrains, there has been so substantial increase in agriculture. To allot only Rs. 400 crores to extend the so-called green revolution to the eastern region of the country comprising Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Easter UP, West Bengal and Orissa is an act of absolute tokenism.

For enhancing the productivity of dry land farming areas only Rs. 300 crores have been provided for, when only 40 per cent of land is irrigated. Most shamefully government has increased the target of the flow of bank loan to agriculture by only Rs.50,000 crores for this year. The budget will not improve agricultural production or stem agricultural crisis.
For the upliftment of the minorities allocation has been increased by only Rs.860 crores. While there is no fund for augmenting the Public Distribution System, for stepping up flood control measures and expanding irrigation, government has given heavy concessions to the corporate houses. Only Rs. 1000 crores has been allotted in the name of social security to the unorganized labour. Therefore the Budget is anti-farmer, anti-people and pro rich and corporate. No wonder the Sensex has immediately jumped up by 300 points getting the right signal from the Budget.