04 Feb 2023  |   05:23am IST

Letters to the editor ( 04 February 2023)

Budget 2023-24 is a ceremonial budget

The budget 2023-24 is anti-poor and fails to address the rampant unemployment, rising inflation as well as the growing inequality between the rich and the poor.  The government is determined to push the new tax regime for which there are few takers for a variety of reasons. People who had risen above the poverty level have fallen below the poverty level again. 

The government is not bothered about the people and their concerns about lives and livelihood and growing inequality between the rich and poor. There is also a need for a reduction in the GST rate for start-ups, as it will make a significant impact on their finances.  The money is not being spent on welfare schemes and subsidies. Tax is being collected by some crony capitalists and big businessmen. The budget was made purely focusing on the upcoming elections in some states. All interests of Ambani, Adani are fulfilled in this budget, but the common man has been blatantly ignored.  

The country has suffered from inflation for the past years and prices of flour, pulses, oil, soap etc, which are used by the common man on a daily basis, have skyrocketed. This Budget has betrayed the hopes of the vast majority of the people. 

K G Vilop, Chorao


Can’t call this a  ‘visionary’ Budget 

All budgetary spendings depend on the anticipated revenue receipts in the concerned financial year. A cursory glance at the Union budget presented by Finance Minister Sitharaman makes one believe that the revenue receipt assumptions made by the creators of this budget seem to be too optimistic studded with not so easily realisable projections which would eventually result in further gaps and end up in higher fiscal deficit. The finance minister has depended on tax buoyancy to determine the fiscal deficit to remain at 5.9% of the GDP based on her expectation that the revenue expenditures such as interest payment, subsidies and salaries could be contained to remain at the 1.02% level, which is not feasible under the circumstances. 

One really wonders whether the BJP government that has been crying hoarse ever since it came to power in 2014 that they are made to service the high-cost funds borrowed by the former UPA government has already cleared the said loans or still carrying them in their books and in that case, have given sufficient cushion to cover the outlay in their projections. This is just an example. Though the government has introduced rupee trading, particularly for purchase of crude oil and with an eye on saving our forex reserve, it would be a Herculean task to stall the fall of rupee the emerging Asia's worst performer in 2022 and is likely to extend losses and lose its lustre further this fiscal year. 

The higher allocation of funds for infrastructure development and railways are welcome but it is not going to generate employment opportunities to the millions immediately as these are all long- term projects. With nothing concrete given to the agriculture sector except the much – propagated millets – promotion and reduced funds allocation for health and education, it is an absolute mockery that some overzealous supporters of the BJP government have started calling it a ‘visionary’ budget. 

Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai


IGBC rating will curb carbon emission in city 

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Goa chapter chairman has reportedly opined that the Panjim Smart city should adopt the IGBC green cities rating system as its holistic and cover all aspects of a Smart City Mission. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. The vision of the council is to enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025. 

The council reportedly offers a wide array of services which include developing new green building rating programs, certification services and green building training programs.  It is learnt that the council also organizes Green Building Congress, its annual flagship event on green buildings. The council reportedly also closely works with several state Governments, Central Government, World Green Building Council, bilateral, multilateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in the country. It is understood that the central government and various State Government agencies have given recognition to IGBCs’ Green Rating Systems in the form of incentives to IGBC-rated Green Building Projects. The IGBC rating will curb carbon emission in Panaji in a big way. It will create more spaces and make the city more friendly, especially for senior citizens. 

The state government needs to work in tandem with the IGBC in order to achieve the goals set by the central government.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco


Dictators don’t last forever

This has reference to the article ‘Dictatorial Dadagiri’ by Joseph Lewis D’Silva  - O Heraldo, February 3, 2023.

Joseph offers a good insight into the different aspects of dadagiri. It was interesting to read about how dictatorial dadagiri is practised in the politics, in society, even in households. It is always the powerful who try to suppress the others, whether in politics, in society or in the family. 

For instance, a backward class, like a dalit, cannot draw water from a well belonging to the upper class or he cannot bathe at a river where the upper class is in a majority. The most disgusting aspect is, when a dalit is not allowed to worship in a temple belonging to the upper class! It seems the upper class has even hijacked God! Does God have favourites?

One needs to understand that such dadagiri cannot last forever. At the end of the day, when we are no more, our mortal bodies are consigned to the dust and dust has no favourites. Just as blood does not discriminate when it is infused into our bodies during surgery, it is universal.

The scenario looks gloomy in the background of the mindset of those in power. But, at this moment, Mahatma Gandhi’s words come to mind, ‘in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth, truth persists, in the midst of darkness, light persists’. Dictators don't last forever, dictatorial dadagiri must come to an end some day.  So, perhaps, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope for mankind. 

Melville X D'Souza, Mumbai


Raise awareness on cancer

Cancer is no more a dreaded disease it once was thanks to the joint collaboration between health professionals, non-governmental organisations, media and the government.  Awareness has gone a long way in making people realise that there is no substitute to prevention, early detection and management of cancer, and many oncologists commonly tell their patients that “time is gold”. Stakeholders across the world are busy addressing the stigma attached to the disease.  The determination to go all the way is of paramount importance in tackling cancer. 

 Oncologists, oncology post graduates, cancer disease survivors, health volunteers, students, teachers, politicians, government and of course, the print and electronic media have the onerous task of percolating knowledge, removing misconceptions and enhancing awareness on cancer.  

The ideal is “together we  can create change”, and the governments are trying their best to “close the caregap”.  Stress on nutrition as a parallel pathway in helping the patients to sustain the intense anti-cancer treatment, the criticality of uninterrupted treatment, and the psychological aspects of cancer care are all possible only through awareness.   

Ganapathi Bhat, Akola



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