Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta on Monday presented a Rs 16,734-crore Budget for 2010-11, with a pro-poor, pro-agriculture and minority tilt, clearly aiming to win back the disgruntled rural vote bank ahead of the 2011 Assembly elections.
Plan outlay for agriculture has been hiked 28%, from Rs 178 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 228 crore for the current financial year. Dasgupta stressed upon furthering land reforms through fresh distribution of homestead land to landless rural poor. He announced the provision of distributing land and giving ownership of up to 5 cottahs, free of cost to the rural poor for setting up houses. The number of beneficiaries in this scheme would be 2 lakh, Dasgupta added.
The government, he said, would follow the Acquisition of Homestead Land Act of 1975 and purchase land for the purpose from willing farmers at a rate 25% more than the market price. Dasgupta, however, did not declare any special budgetary provision for it. The state government has hiked industry outlay by only 14%, from Rs 350 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 400 crore in 2010-11. Dasgupta laid more stress upon agriculture, minorities, rural and urban poor than on industry. Plan outlay for the department of minorities affairs and madrasah education has been increased from Rs 121 crore in the current year to Rs 300 crore for the coming fiscal.
The Opposition protested throughout the speech, saying the Left Front had become an anti-people party. Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) welcomed the Budget for its focus on inclusive growth. ?Increased allocation for industrial development with special focus on micro and small sector, IT and tourism will help in building the economy in the long run. Thrust on physical and social infrastructure is welcome,? the industrial chamber said.
The attempt to address the needs of rural economy is evident from the allocation for irrigation, which has been hiked to Rs 61.3 crore from Rs 49.3 crore allotted in the last year?s Budget. Dasgupta said even as West Bengal has registered the highest growth in agriculture?4.2% against the national average growth of ?0.2%?the state envisages another green revolution for further boosting the agricultural sector. While more cold chains and agricultural warehouses will be set up, the Budget sought to empower self-help groups (SHGs) to carry out marketing of agricultural commodities.
As a part of empowering SHGs, state co-op banks will provide subsidised credit to them at 4% interest rate and aim to form 1.8 lakh more SHGs in 2010-2011.