Real budget for the aam aadmi

I am almost 100 per cent sure when I write that the budget, which our honourable finance minister is going to present before the Parliament next month, is going to be a hugely populist one. Although not much different from the previous budgets ufffdwhich were more of political rhetoric than anything else ufffd this time, it is different.

This time, it is more of a compulsion for the UPA, which is finding itself cornered with respect to untamable inflation on the one hand, and equally unbeatable corruption cases and scams on the other.

And then there is WikiLeaks waiting, which is all set to declare a list of 2000 people, global names who have stashed their cash in Swiss banks. This could put the UPA in a tight spot too. Ever since it has come to power in 2004, UPA has never been in such a situation.u00a0

Taking about governance, by the end of August last year, the UPA was able to introduce only 77 out of promised 190 bills, in the four parliamentary sessions. Bills like Judges Accountability Bill and the likes didn't even reach the table. Even the over-hyped bill on food security is yet to see its fate. And to top it up, out of 77 bills introduced, around 50 per cent are yet to be passed!

In the given scenario, there is no doubt that UPA would again declare a populist, aam aadmi centric budget offering people a series of unwarranted sops and subsidies. It would be their attempt to corrupt the aam aadmi by pleasing and pampering the middle class.

But, what is worse is that they also know that by bringing in a soft and populist budget, they are in the process of creating a fiscal monster for the future. Particularly at a point in time wherein India needs some assertive and radical measures to consolidate its position at the global level! And the Union Budget is probably the best platform for the same. But then, who cares.

As far as the UPA is concerned, they would leave behind a distorted balance sheet of the nation for its successive rule! And it would be the task of the next government, which comes to power, to manage this menace.u00a0 Unfortunately in all this, it is the same aam aadmi who would be at the forefront of this budget, who has to bleed to make up for the very same budget in the future!

So Pranab da, here is hoping you deliver a budget for the aam aadmi and his real future; and not just to please him at the cost of the country and the aam aadmi himself!