Who is to bell the cat?

 M. Sundaramurthy had reported from Ponneri, near Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu State on 4^th September, 2011 in Dinamani, a Tamil Daily that although a structure had been erected by Ponneri Municipality to make manure from the wastes collected from 18 Municipal Wards, after segregating them into degradable and non–degradable, it wasn't being utilised.  It is strange that nobody took the initiative and saved the river Aarani flowing near Ponneri Town from being used as a dumping ground.  The local residents including environmental experts have been clamoring for attention by the District Administration.

One would expect that by this time such a structure constructed at some cost for the purpose of segregating the wastes and making manure would have started commissioning.  If not, it is for the District Administration to take it up as a challenge and solve the problem without any further waste of time.

The rise of polygamy in our society of excess

Vinita Dawra Nangia has, under the above caption (Times life on 21st April, 2013 ), reported that historically the world has frowned upon polyandry (one women with two or more men), while tolerating, if not outright encouraging by legalizing polygyny (one man with multiple sexual partners). Male chauvinism at full play with a brutal force!!

Interestingly, Michael Price from the psychology department of Brunel University west London, equates serial monogamists such as Donald Trump and Larry King, who divorce older wives and marry younger women, as polygamists too, since they also monopolize the reproductive years of a number of women. In that sense, all celebrities, stars, prominent sportsmen and business tycoons with a series of women, can be termed polygamists as well!  

How do we reconcile the fact that some political personalities/chief ministers and cine stars are openly staying with more than two women as wives without marriage. With double standards at work freely in our society, the law of the land and its enforcing agencies turn a blind eye to the facts of life for obvious reasons.         

In our affluent age, exotic indulgences, such as maintaining a concubine, are quite common and on the increase as rightly pointed out. This reminds us of former rulers/kings maintaining harems with many women / beauties.

Buck should stop at one point:

The latest diatribe from our congress leader Digvijay Singh is that the buck should stop at one point. He wants to say that the posts of P.M and Congress President should be held by one individual and that too by Rahul Gandhi as early as possible. It is a very well taken stand by him at this juncture but the point is whether it is the party's views or his personal view. Since he is the party's declared spokesperson it creates a doubt in our minds on this issue. It would be better if he only announces the party's stand always. He simultaneously declares that Sonia has the last word on policies. If that is correct what authority he enjoys to declare his personal views contrary to that of party's. He is already a SONIAS' alter-ego. His role is therefore doubtlessly dubious which needs to be corrected by the party sooner than later.

Why Spare our rich formers.?

Swapan Das Gupta rightly questions the fear of governments in India in taxing the rich formers under the above mentioned caption in Sunday Times of India on March 10, 2013.   While the corporate czars are being touched and taxed with 10% surcharge on their annual income crossing Rs. 1 Crore, he is stating that a tax on high agricultural income is an idea that cannot be resisted much longer.

While it is true that almost 80 to 90 percent of the farmers in the country comprise of small and marginal or sub-marginal farmers, a small percentage of farmers are pretty rich when they indulge in commercial including plantation and horticultural crops. Their incomes can be taken up for close scrutiny and subject to taxation without fearing the loss of vote bank by the political parties although the spokesmen of the farming community invariably happen to be the rich farmers.

Poverty in Middle Class

It appears hundreds and thousands of middle class families are undergoing untold sufferings in our midst. A male member of our society with minimum earnings ventures into the marriage and bequeaths children mindlessly and get into the trouble, being unable to make both ends meet in course of time. The result is that they go to the extent of committing suicide. The man or woman has no right in the first instance to get into the wedlock without adequate means to support themselves and secondly they have no business to give birth to children when they are not able to survive in modern days.

The classic example as reported in the newspaper to day (April 1, 2013) relates to a person named Saktivel (Age 37) of Karpagam Nagar, Ponniamman Medu near Chennai Madhavaram working as a fitter in a steel mill and his wife Vanita (Age 30) decided to end their lives with  2 children - twin girls by taking poison in the meals when he failed to get some  financial support any more from his mother. Unfortunately one daughter died and other three persons who took the meal are fighting for life in the local hospital .The third child, a boy escaped because of his stay in his grand mother's home at the time of incident. 

Deadly Lust

One is literally shocked to know the mind-set of a young mother named Sanai Nagamura (25 years old) in Osaka region of Japan who locked, for nearly one month at a stretch, her two kids - three year-old daughter and one year-old son in her home and went to stay with her boy-friend in the same town. The kids died for want of food, it is reported. The mother was sentenced for 30 years imprisonment by the court and sent to jail. The supreme court naturally upheld the sentence passed by the lower court.

Is it not a shame to the motherhood of a human being? Such lustful women should not give birth to kids in the first instance and bring bad name to her divine gender.

Populist but balanced Budget

With no new tax proposals and not even changes in the existing tax structure or rates, the Tamil Nadu Government under ADMK rule has attempted a populist budget in a balanced manner looking to the compulsions and freebies promised to the voters on the eve of general elections and the manuerablilty of receipts from various sources. This is the ADMK Government’s third budget for the Fiscal 2013-14.

A special feature of this type in the budget has been resorted to by the Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha and Finance Minister O.Panneerselvam for a certain purpose possibly based on the inputs received from the Chief Secretary Sheela Balakrishnan and Finance Secretary K.Shanmugham. They deserve special mention and appreciation for such a novel departure at this juncture when all the states generally face a financial crunch everywhere. Even minor changes have been avoided as far as tax receipts are concerned.

For 2013-2014, the Government has pegged the overall target for the State’s own taxes at Rs. 86,065.4 crore, with a projected growth rate of 17% over the Revised Estimates for 2012-2013. The estimates for Commercial Taxes, Excise Duty and Motor Vehicles taxes are Rs.56,025.24 crores, Rs.14,469.87 crores and Rs.4,881.15 crores, respectively. They hope that in 2013-2014, the registration of documents will pick up and the revenue from the collection of Stamp duty and registration fees will be Rs.9,874.22 crores.

Within the last two years, this Government claims that it has brought the State finances back on track. From a revenue deficit of Rs.2,728.69 crores in 2010-2011, this Government has presented two successful budgets with a revenue surplus. The Budget Estimates 2012-2013 had projected a revenue surplus of Rs.2,376 crores. However, owing to increased expenditure commitments, especially because of the efforts of this Government to revive the financial health of TANGEDCO and the substantial reduction in receipts from the Government of India, the revised estimate of revenue surplus is reduced to Rs.451.52 crores. However, the fiscal deficit has been restricted to Rs.19,889.31 crores, which is only 2.88% of GSDP. Both these indicators are well within the targets specified in the Tamil Nadu Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2003, and the requirements of the 13th Finance Commission. During 2013-2014, they are projecting a revenue surplus of Rs.664.06 crores and a fiscal deficit of Rs.22, 938.57 crores. This fiscal deficit will be 2.84% of GSDP, which is within the stipulated norm of 3%.

As expected by any student of economics like me a performance budget containing the targets and achievements registered during the previous years by the same state government would have carried more conviction and exhibited its actual competency. Unfortunately no state government dares to submit for obvious reasons.

The GSDP growth rate, according to the Advance Estimates for 2012-2013, is only 4.61% at constant prices. The severe drought and crop failure has hit the state badly in the primary sector, which has ultimately affected the service sector growth as well. The general economic slowdown in the national economy and shortage of power has hampered growth in the manufacturing sector as claimed by the finance minister. The state government has to take sincere steps seriously and work hard to compete with some north Indian states like Gujarat in terms of economic growth in the next two-three years.

The approach adopted by the finance minister in regard to certain sectors as revealed from the following list is obvious and praise-worthy too:

i. Continued thrust on primary sector and infusion of more investment in storage and marketing infrastructure.

ii. Speedy implementation of infrastructure projects and investing more funds in new projects for power, roads connectivity, etc.

iii. Additional incentives to encourage balanced industrial growth in backward and most backward areas, particularly in Southern Tamil Nadu.

iv. Special package for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) to boost employment generation and to revitalise industrial growth.

The overall allocation for the primary sector has been increased to Rs.17,220.89 crores in the Budget Estimates 2013-2014. The allocation for agriculture has been increased to Rs.5,189.15 crores during 2013-2014, over the current year's allocation of Rs.4,829.93 crores, which is the highest ever allocation for the sector.

During the past two years, this Government has laid a strong foundation for ushering the State into a second green revolution by enhancing agricultural productivity. This Government will continue to adopt strategies for increasing farmers income through the dissemination of better cultivation practices and front end technology; enhancement of farm productivity through mixed farming and integrated farming; adoption of water conservation measures like use of micro irrigation system; spread of farm mechanisation to small and marginal holdings; and integration of agricultural markets and promoting post-harvest management and processing – all done with good intention and we wish for proper implementation in future too.

The Annual Credit Plan target for the disbursement of crop loans has been set at Rs.39,135 crores for the financial year 2013-2014. The crop loan target under the Co-operative Sector will be stepped up from the present level of Rs.4,000 crores to Rs.4,500 crores in the coming financial year. The allocation for the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) will be Rs.140 crores in 2013-2014 and Rs.21 crores has been provided as the State's share in the Budget . Estimates 2013-2014. In the coming financial year, a special focus will be given to increasing the area under vegetable cultivation to 8.2 lakh acres from the existing 7.25 lakh acres. Rs.20 crores has been allocated for promoting agro processing industries under the National Mission for Food Processing This is an area where the state lags behind other leading players in the country and any amount of focus and allocation would be justified due to small holdings in huge percentage.

The size of the total State Plan allocation during the Twelfth Plan period is pegged at Rs.2.11 lakh crores. The objective of the entire planning process as announced by the ADMK government will be the eradication of poverty, creation of more and better job opportunities and overall improvement in the quality of life. The State will exceed the Annual Plan target of Rs.28,000 crores during 2012-2013 and the allocation has been increased to Rs.37,000 crores for 2013-2014. The plan allocation for the primary sector has been increased by 20.12%. – a good step in right direction. An allocation of Rs.2,000 crores for the Infrastructure Development Fund and Rs.200 crores for the Project Preparation Fund have been provided in the Budget Estimates 2013-2014.

Rs.50 crores has been earmarked in the Budget Estimates of 2013-2014 for the construction of buildings for the remaining 109 Police Stations. This will ensure that all the Police Stations in Tamil Nadu will hereafter function only from their own buildings. This measure on the part of ADMK government is really appreciable because the state police would not need any private building hereafter. The overall allocation for the Police Department has been increased from Rs.4,096.7 crores in 2012-2013 to Rs. 4,706.17 crores in the Budget Estimates 2013-2014. The state police would have to exhibit its gratitude towards the state administration by pruning and training its forces for maintaining law and order in the state in the best possible manner. Prompt registration of FIRs in police stations and timely disposal of petitions by higher authorities in the department would have to be ensured by them.

So far, 1,61,142 vacancies across various departments have been filled up. In co-operative societies and banks alone, 9,914 employees have been newly appointed. Similarly, in Public Sector Undertakings, 22,452 personnel have been newly appointed. All told, this Government has appointed 1,93,508 employees since May 2011, greatly relieving the stress on governance. This is a welcome and admirable achievement of the government although this is quite in contrast with the attitude of the ADMK’s previous rule around 2004-05.

The fast track patta transfer system introduced by this Government has helped to dispose of over 26 lakh cases so far. The figure is mind-boggling and deserves a check-up. The overall pendency level has been brought down from 1,46,067 cases at the beginning of the scheme, to less than 33,000 cases now.

The state is providing free rice to all rice card holders from June 2011 onwards. This Government is also supplying tur dhal, urad dhal and palm oil at subsidised prices under the special Public Distribution System so as to insulate the poor from the increasing prices of essential commodities. A sum of Rs.4,900 crores has been provided in the Budget Estimates 2013-2014 for food subsidy.

The Government is taking several steps to improve power supply in order to provide uninterrupted quality power to the consumers. NTPC-TANGEDCO Joint Venture Project Unit-I at Vallur has already been commissioned and the generation has been stabilised. The MTPS Stage-III (600 MW), NTPC-TANGEDCO Joint Venture Unit-II at Vallur and North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage II, Unit-II have commenced trial production. North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage-II, Unit-I (600 MW) will be commissioned in May 2013. The third unit (500 MW) of NTPC-TANGEDCO Joint Venture at Vallur will be commissioned in October, 2013. Two units of 500 MW each of NLC-TANGEDCO joint venture at Tuticorin are expected to be commissioned in December, 2013 and March, 2014 respectively. All these new projects are expected to give an additional generation of 3230 Mega Watt.

Other measure that deserves praise is that this Government will create a land bank of 25000 acres through SIPCOT to attract more industries to the State. A new ship building yard will be established in Thoothukudi by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) under Public-Private Partnership.

Timely sanction of schemes and projects with enough lead time for implementation would only justify such an annual exercise in real terms.