SHIMLA:  Farmers, Congress and CPIM's  Reaction to Jai Ram Thakur's Sabka Budget-22-23 

APPLE FARMERS UNHAPPY WITH BUDGET:    

Apple Farmers have termed the “Sabka Budget- 22-23” presented by Chief Minister in Vidhan sabha today as "disappointing for the farmers" as the government did not address the issues of rocketing prices of carton, fertilisers and fungicides” that have pushed up cost of production of the apple produce, the main stay of economy of over 10 lakh families and allied labour and trading class,   spanning Rs 5000 crore economy. 

President, Progressive Growers Association  Lokinder Bisht said nothing new has been announced, CA stores and model Mandi Parala have been in the pipeline since last few years. Nothing new to address the issue of increased  rates of carton, fertilizer and fungicides, no mention of direct subsidy on these items or any action to decrease or curtail their rising cost, he said. “Neither have any steps been taken to promote small scale cold storage and processing facilities, though setting up of FPO's is a positive step”, he said.

CONGRESS: BUDGET AN ATTMEPT TO GAIN LOST GAME

Vijaypal Singh, who heads the HP Congress Vichar Manch said it is the Budget for Instantaneous political gains, but BJP knows they have already lost the game  as demonstrated by the recent four bypolls, which were won by the Congress. The budget offers few increased pennies to the deprived class of the society, be it pensioners, anganwadi workers, panchayati raj representatives. “Budget does not reflect long term vision and plans, because the BJP knows their government will be ousted this year from power and it will be a mission delete instead of repeat as they claim”, he asserted.  

CPIM: Populist Budget 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today described the budget presented by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as disappointing adding that this budget is a budget to pursue neo-liberal policies, keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections and it is a populistic budget. Different promises have been made by the government to the people in the budget in a hope that they regain power, which they will not, said HP CPIM secretary Oncar Shad.

Shad said no work has been done by the government to provide relief to the farmers in this budget. No relief from inflation was given to the public even on special medicines and other agricultural inputs. In this budget, no permanent provision regarding unemployment was made by the government, the government has promised to provide 30,000 jobs, but those recruitments are also outsourced, he said. They are done to exploit youth and no policy has been made for the outsourced people”.  

Employees in the state are constantly agitating for the restoration of old pension, but the present BJP government of the state, far from restoring the old pension of the employees, ignored the demands of the employees by lathi-charge and registering FIR on them yesterday, Dr Shad said. No relief has been given for the students and women in the budget. In the budget, the work of reducing inflation and giving relief to the general public has not been done”, he said.