E-Paper
Unemployment, environmental degradation issues take centre stage during presentation of people’s budget in Pune
Achyut Godbole, a writer and thinker, said that there is a need to focus on the unprecedented rise in unemployment rather than worry about the decline in the GDP growth rate
Inequality, unemployment and environmental degradation were the central themes of discussion when the Jan Arth Sankalp 2020 (shadow/people’s budget) by experts from various fields was presented at the SM Joshi Hall in Navi peth on Monday.
“Inequality, unemployment and environmental degradation are the main issues which India is facing currently due to following the wrong development model. It is the need of the hour to come up with concrete solutions and financial reforms in the forthcoming budget. If we continue to focus on increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, then it will only benefit the elites and not solve the social and economic issues in the society,” said Achyut Godbole, a writer and thinker.
He added that there is a need to focus on the unprecedented rise in unemployment rather than worry about the decline in the GDP growth rate. “Therefore, priority should be on how to increase the purchasing power of poor people. One cannot solve the problems of unemployment and economic slowdown by relaxing taxes and increasing profits of investors and industrialists. We should prioritise health, education, environment and women empowerment. Only then can we increase the living standard of the country and achieve inclusive development,” he said.
Experts like Sharad Javadekar (education); Tanmay Kanitkar (RTI); Dr Anant Phadke (health); Pranjali Deshpande-Agashe (urban mobility); Kiran Moghe-Priti Karmarkar (women and SC/ST welfare); Arun Wakhalu (motivating public servants); Ajit Abhyankar-Nidhi Pathak (economic slowdown and youth employment guarantee), and Vishweshwar Raste (related competition for industrial development), discussed the various aspects of the people’s budget.
Leader of the unorganised labour movement, Baba Adhav, was also present at the programme as the keynote speaker. “The event focused on creating a parallel budget which could act as suggestions for the forthcoming Union budget. Likewise, a detailed proposal of the budget allocation was presented by the experts in their respective fields. Everyone stressed on the need to invest in education, health, rural development, SC/ST schemes by the government. More taxes should be collected from the corporates and industrialists to generate additional revenues to support the proposed allotments,” said Shrikant Kulkarni, from the organising committee of the event.
Dr Anant Phake and Sharad Javadekar specifically pointed out that unregulated privatisation should be controlled in all these fields especially in, education and health, likewise the government should increase its investment in public services.
Baba Adhav said, “Discussion on Union budget should happen before it is presented by proposing people’s suggestions and expectations instead of criticising it later. Such type of events and subjects should be discussed and presented through a social movement. We should focus on the parallel solutions rather than showing support or sheer opposition. Every field should design such solutions for inclusive and sustainable development in India. Jan Arth Sankalp is the new dawn of such a movement.”
