JAMMU, JANUARY 11 (KNO) 2018: Senior CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has said that the budget presented by the Finance Minister has no mention of tackling the ever increasing problem of unemployment of the educated youth in the state. No policy frame work has been suggested to address this huge and vulnerable problem. In absence of other viable avenues, the government sector is the only area which provides some opportunity for generating employment. But the inability of the government to create such opportunities the future seems to be bleak for our younger generation. The demand of the daily wagers/casual etc. for regularization has not been met while some of them will be designated as Government Service Assistants(GSAs) which in reality means contractual status with category-wise wages and without full service benefits.
Grant of minimum wages is even otherwise the right of every worker and no special favour been extended by the government. The announcement of accepting the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission and the commitment to implement it retrospectively from January, 2016 is a welcome step. This has been a persistent demand of the employees and pensioners.
There is no mention of any relief for the farmers, the backbone of our rural economy. Nothing substantial has been announced for fruit growers, saffron producers and no mention of adequate compensation to those farmers whose land has been acquired for governmental purposes.Crop insurance scheme has been confined to announcements only and nothing is being done to implement it on the ground.
No substantial budgetary support has been suggested to strengthen the sheep and animal husbandry sector which has the potential of generating employment opportunities for our rural youth.
There has been a pendency of thousands of cases in every district in respect of payment of monthly financial assistance under various schemes in social welfare department including Old Age Pension, Widow Pension, Specially Abled Persons, Marriage assistance, Militancy Victim cases etc. Budgetary support should have been earmarked for one time settlement of these pending cases.
No mention for social security measures for lacs of desperate and pauperized artisans has been made in the budget. Creation of cess could have been suggested on the lines of Construction Workers Board with some budgetary support.
No intension has been expressed to increase the budgetary allocations of Education sector, an important catalyst for improving the life of the people. Further no mention has been made for increasing allocations to health sector for provide health care facilities to the far flung areas of the state.
Though corruption at every level is rampant in the state and should have been of the serious concern for the government but instead a casual reference has been made in the budget speech. Instead of tackling this menace effectively nothing concrete has been suggested to fight this virus.(KNO)