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Union Budget 2008-09 and Bihar
By D N Mishra
Mar. 1, 2008 |
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Mr.
P Chidambaram has presented his last budget for
the present Lok-Sabha. Yet again he has played a
trick upon the masses of the state. This budget
can at best be termed as self-serving to
Congress Party interest in its stronghold of
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. A deep
pick into this whole charade will indicate that
most of the benefits will accrue to these three
states. It could be as much as more than 50%
share to these three states in the overall
waiver. If the union government had distributed
these Rs. 60,000 crores using the devolution
formula of 12th finance commission that would
have been more equitable to all the states of
Indian Federation. It would have been better if
against this amount so furnished, various states
would have been made to write off the loan of
farmers. If any shortfall that should have been
taken out of states own revenues and surpluses,
while surplus should have been left with the
state experiencing lower debt stress. Better
would have been if the states subsidized the
interest on further borrowing to make farm loan
available at as low as .5% interest, rather than
waiving of the loans. This would have also taken
care of Moral Hazard, as has been pointed out by
CM Mr. Nitish Kumar in his reaction to the
budget.
Another area where the bias against the state is
quite evident is in renaming ‘Rashtriya Sam
Vikas Yojana’ to ‘Backward Region Grant Fund’.
By the very nomenclature it is humiliating to
Bihar. And a special mention that 45% wil go to
Bihar, Orissa & UP is like rubbing the salt on
the wound. Furthermore there is no increase in
allocation to Bihar ( it used to be Rs.
1000crores under RSVY). In fact, finance
minister has given much more amount to TN be way
of Desalination Plant, Funding of educational
Institutions and through indirect means like
NHDP roads ( over 3100 KM roads in TN as against
1608 Km in Bihar) etc. Moreover why central
government should be entirely funding
Sethusamundaram project is beyond any rational.
Entire benefit of this project accrues to TN and
as such does not serve the national strategic
interest at all.
To make mockery of the entire exercise, Bihar
has been witness to announcement of AIIMS like
institute for over last five years and IIT for
the last two years without actual implementation
till date. Even this is being trumpeted as great
favour to Bihar. This, when Bihar has hardly 5
such institution against over 35 such
institutions in each of the states like TN, AP,
Maharashtra, Karnataka & WB. Even a smaller
state like Kerala has now more than 30 central
academic and research institutions. Even after
all this, it is amusing to find people in state
celebrating the announcement of a mere IIT.
Bihar must be given two IIIT (for hardware &
design and for software, respectively), one
Central University, one University of
Excellence, one IISER and an IIM at the least.
Bihar must be get all of these, if justice is to
be done to the state.
Anyway Federal Administration should consider
allocating the following institutions, which it
is planning to announce in current financial
year, to Bihar:
1. Department of Biotechnology:
”Efforts will be made to start the activities of
other institutions in pipelines in the areas of
stem cell biology, UNESCO regional centre, agri-food
biotechnology, marine biotechnology and animal
biotechnology.”
Note: state should stake claim to host UNESCO
regional center at either Bodh Gaya or Nalanda
and should try to have agri-food technology at
Muzaffarpur & Stem Cell Biology Center at Patna.
2. Department of Higher Education - (Technical
Education)
”A provision of Rs. 150 crore has been made for
Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research (IISER) which would take care of the
requirement of the three IISER at Pune, Kolkata,
and Mohali and two new ones to be started at
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and Bhopal (Madhya
Pradesh). Apart from the provision for various
ongoing schemes in the Technical Education
sector, a provision of Rs.50 Crore has been made
for setting up of three new IITs, Rs. 8 crore
for setting up of new IIMs, Rs. 21.40 crore for
setting up of new IIITs, Rs. 15 crore for two
new schools of Planning and Architecture at
Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Vijayawada in
Andhra Pradesh, and a token provision of Rs. 1
crore for new National Institute of Technology.”
Note: state must be given the IISER, IIM & IIIT
at least if not the SPA. Setting up of such
institutions in Southern states (i.e. TN, AP,
Karnataka& Kerala) , Maharashtra and West Bengal
must be frozen right away as these states
already have disproportionate number of such
institutions.
3. Department of Information, Publicity and
Broadcasting:
”Provision for Setting up of National Centre for
Excellence in Animation, Gaming & Special
Effects”
Note: Setting up of this last institution being
an institution of great economic importance can
give a great advantage to Bihar and will help
create a modern entertainment industry of big
potential in the state. Also I& B Ministry
should consider setting up of a unit under
International Media University (renamed IIMC) in
Bihar.
Also, Integrated River Management Project has
great significance for the state. Either this be
taken up as a national project or state be a
given substantial funding (over 90%) towards the
same.
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Comments: |
Mishraji, none of the real important
feature of a union budget has been
granted to Bihar. Reason? Very
simple! Our Bihari UPA MPs do not
have the understanding of what could
be the real benefit for Bihar. So,
forget about it. The good news,
Laluji has given several new trains
to and from Bihar connecting to
other part of India to help easy
migration of Biharis from Bihar.
Most of the subsidy/benefits of this
union budget will have minimum to
none impact on today's situation of
Bihar. Bihar is cursed with such
political leaders who will never
think of Bihar in smart way. Unhi Ke
Bhasha Me - ee Ihar-Bihar ke pragati
ke liye, Bheja fry Kaun Karwayega
Bhaiyaa. MP-ministir baniye. Dilli
Jayiye. Apane Baal Bachchon ko
Videsh me Padhaiye. Wahi Dilli ke
aas paas aik ashiyana banaiye. Jab
phir election aayega to kuch kar
denge Bihar ke Naam par. Okara baad
pher se paanch saal ta Dilliye Me na
rahana hai.
We Biharis are ourself responsible
for today's Thuka-Thuki
(humiliation) situations and if we
do not wake up, the more such
situations will follow through. -
Narendra N. Singh - Mar. 5, 2008 |
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