Jammu: 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,” Tarigami said in a statement.
He added, “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.”
Tarigami also pointed out that 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,” he said.
He also mentioned that 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,” the statement highlighted.
No mention for social security measures for lakhs 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,” Tarigami said.
He also added that the health and education sectors have been ignored in the budget.
“No intention 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,” Tarigami’s statement said.
The CPI (M) leader stressed that a casual reference has been made regarding the menace of corruption in the state.
“Instead of tackling this menace effectively nothing concrete has been suggested to fight this virus,” the statement concluded.
