PDP picks holes in Budget 2012-13

Terming the budget presented by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather on Monday as incoherent, contradictory and misleading, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, today said that achievements and priorities listed by the government were jugglery of figures.

In his 105-minute speech loaded with satire and phrases in Legislative Assembly, Baig exposed the ‘shortcomings’ in the budget documents and economic survey report saying that if state government failed to take certain corrective measures to resurrect the economy, Jammu and Kashmir would end up having nothing in its plan outlay to spend on developmental projects in coming years.

“When all major indicators of the state economy and crucial sectors are recording a downward trend, then how is it possible to portrait that different sectors are growing? Government talks about equitable and inclusive growth, but what have you done for the same?” Baig asked.

He said that agriculture sector is not doing well, the industries are in mess, revenue recoveries are not showing remarkable improvement in past few years while the power sector has become a white elephant despite many reformative measures.

“If we look at economic survey and budget speech, figures are totally contradictory as social sector and infrastructure are in poor condition. There is always a roadmap, but the budget presented by government has said nothing about the future,” he observed.

The senior PDP leader and former Finance Minister of the state said that till J&K is not able to take reformative steps in power sector, it cannot come out of the debt trap.

He said that power sector is emerging as major defaulter for J&K, but government has not been able to bring reforms in the sector. “Income is less as power sector is facing 50 per cent deficit. T&D losses are at 62 per cent. You have failed to act against electricity pilferage,” Baig said.

Raising question mark on joint venture signed between Jammu and Kashmir and Central Government on the construction of hydro-power projects, Baig said that it is against the interests of state as its major share will be taken by Centre.

“It was signed in hurry when there was Governor rule in state. I doubt intentions of the then Governor,” Baig said.

Lashing out at the government for ‘not presenting any roadmap for future,’ Baig said that Finance Minister had not presented any roadmap and how would the state rein in the rising fiscal deficit and other liabilities which are mounting every year.

“Government has given major concessions in agriculture and industrial sector while leveling 5 per cent additional VAT on tobacco products and liquor which is unlikely to have any major impact on the poor economic condition of J&K,” Baig observed.

Muzaffar Baig said that government should have given department-wise list of the priorities as made mandatory by the Finance Commission. “You said that in 24 social sectors we are behind the rest of the country. This budget is just a dream, but how to achieve that dream, nothing has been said in the document presented by government,” he said.

Citing the condition of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), Baig said that government has calculated figures keeping 2004-05 as base year, which will not give the actual picture of the economy and financial health of the state. “If you see GSDP of the districts, it shows the poor position of new districts which were carved during the previous government, but government has said nothing about how to improve the condition of these districts,” he said.

Talking about Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Program (PMRP), Baig said that it was just a showoff as out of Rs 25,000 crore announced by the Central Government, Rs 15000 crore were kept for the construction of the power projects being executed by NHPC, while state got only Rs 1,000 crore in its kitty.

Pointing towards members in the Legislative Assembly, Baig said that Finance Minister ‘is always like a Brahmin or Mullah, as most of the members don’t know what the FM says.’

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