By Gunjan Mishra: Narendra Modi government is going to table his last budget of current tenure. Prime Minister has always been talking about the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Amrit Udyan has also been announced by the government just before tabling the budget in Parliament. This is a good sign because nectar has been or can be obtained only through nature. Taxpayers expecting more relief, and individually all have own wishes how the budget should be, but on a natural basis, how far the government fulfills those expectations, will be decided in next few hours.
What special things must be there in the budget of the present government which often talks about ‘Amrit Kaal’, let us look into it. The Union Budget to be presented soon should give a rich natural bequest to the generations to come. Union budget can also show a new path to the world economy.
However, it seems less likely because the development plans are implemented from the concrete temple of democracy, Parliament. Its cement is also used after coming out at a temperature of 1400 degree centigrade. Perhaps this has been the reason that the budget made under the shadow of concrete has been preparing plans for development like a volcano. It is clear that by burning the real currency, we took path of such development in which such a currency that has no value started. This is the reason that today’s economic inequality is increasing day by day. Along with this, social and environmental problems are getting deeper.
However, over the years the country’s economy has been taught the lesson of environmental protection through solar energy, crop diversification, natural farming, water conservation, etc. But there is still a long way to go. Because still we are unaware of nature’s language and budget. This is the reason why human rights to life and a healthy environment are also denied in front of the glow of artificial development.
Today we need such a budget, which develops the country, cities, and villages on the basis of ecological infrastructure. For example, recently the government honored the work done by the common people for the conservation of nature.
It can be said that steps are being taken towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient, socially inclusive economy in the plans of the government.
So far, the Government of India has encouraged the areas under the Green Economy through budget and policies. But still, economic equality among those who need a prosperous nation is at a very low level. For this, there is a need for better management of schemes run by the government.
Agriculture has so far been considered the backbone of the Indian economy. Not only because it feeds the world’s most populous country, but also because it solves the food crisis of other countries around the world. During the Russia-Ukraine war, India saved the world from troubles like supply chains and food crises.
There is a need to pay more attention to small farmers in the budget with little change in policies because small farms of small farmers are more productive, democratic, bio-diverse, ecologically regenerative, and climate-resilient. While industrial and colonialism have given problems like eco side, genocide, and oppressed mind in the last 300 and 400 years. That is why there is still time that farming is the only medium through which we can ensure the proportion of the five elements. Only then the coming budget will beautify the earth in the form of “Amrit budget” according to Amrit Kaal.
(The columnist is an environmentalist and an expert on agricultural economy affairs)