KL Report
SRINAGAR
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami State Secretary CPI (M) and MLA Sunday said that the budget 2015-2016 presented by the government reflects rosy figures and is devoid of any relief for the common man.
“This budget has nothing significant to offer and instead has furthered desperation and disappointment for different sections of society, be it the unemployed educated youth, people associated with business, agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, causal labourers, daily wagers, Anganwari workers/helpers, ASHAs, contractuals, SPOs, old aged, handicapped, Nambardars and Chowkidars, Chopans, Gujjar and Bakerwal community,” Tarigami said.
He said that peoples are dismayed over the response to the alarming unemployment crisis in the state as the present budget lacks comprehensive plan to address this issue.
“It was expected from the present budget to mitigate the sufferings of the educated youth who are craving for jobs and most of them being at the verge of age bar. Handicrafts sector which is considered as traditional source of employment, is shrinking and the people associated with the business are sure to be dismayed as their aspirations have not been reflected,” he said.
Tarigami said there is no concrete respite for people whose property including residential houses and agriculture lands got damaged due to the devastating floods in September 2014 across the state.
“The budget is also silent about the delayed payment of wages to the casual labourers working in different departments for years together. Similarly, the budget has not mentioned anything about the marketing facilities and infrastructure for horticulture produce. Nothing has been earmarked with regard to establishment of cold storage chains across the state for better marketing of horticulture produce. Subsidization of fertilizers, pesticides and farm equipment, reducing the interest on farm loans, enhancing allocations for irrigation sector have been totally ignored.”
He said the government has once again shown its in-sensitiveness towards the basic issues confronting the common man and consequently the budget does not carry any mention of food security, universalization of public distribution system, solving unemployment and making social security schemes people oriented.
“A major chunk of population has been left out of PDS as the state was getting food grains as per 2001 census, they said adding that it would have been in the interest of the common man to provide subsidy under state share on the food grains and other daily needs. For making crop and livestock insurances schemes successful, no big initiatives find place in the budget in this regard. The budget is silent about enhancement of honararium in favour of anganwadi workers and helpers out of state share and improving their working conditions alongwith ASHAs who were rendering services tirelessly,” he said.
