The Madhya Pradesh budget 2011-12 is somewhat of a mechanical document , conventional , more of the same thing .Though Budgets in these days of globalised economy have a limited leverage but if that is used imaginatively, it can prove critical.
On the macro economic front , there are welcome steps in enhancing the allocations to health and education in a quantum way. Likewise, there is a substantial increase for middle term initiatives in energy and agriculture. GDP has increased and the growth rate is higher than the national average. On the micro front though our per capita income is lower and with rising cost of living , disparity rises and scenarios like the farmers suicides arise.
In what ways could the MP Budget be different from the Union Budget and those of other states? A state budget ,esp. that of a developing state like MP cannot be evaluated on GDP and growth rate alone. Even the HDI indicators have to be figured in. For instance, the funds allotted for infants under the proposed Atal Bal scheme though welcome are too meager .On the other hand, with 28 % increase in revenue receipts , where was the need to borrow from market ? The plea that other states borrow even more does not hold since borrowing is O.K wherever there are more income opportunities.
Also, there is no take on governance issues - there is no benchmarking ,emphasis is only on outlays ,nothing about outcomes. There is no mention of funds lapsing - the quarterly allocation too has not worked - or for that matter the status of previous budgets’ promises. Similarly ,nothing has been done about regional disparity; nothing specific for SC / ST; Furthermore , there is precious little in the direction of promises in manifesto viz.-1 lakh jobs a year for youth ; waiving loans of farmers upto 50,000/-; parity of state govt. employees with central scales. The general impression that BJP is a party for rich businessmen / big farmers has been reinforced .This
budget is in keeping with the eternal weakness of BJP - lack of vigour & rigour ;playing to the gallery and statistical jugglery can only go so far.
Opposition too didn’t perform its role , beyond the TV bytes and one liners there has been no intelligent debate. All in all, it is more like a BahiKhaata than a vision statement which a budget is supposed to be. Conventional approach can get you conventional results .There seems to be no different model for MP than other states which means we will always be behind others. It is like running in the same place.