BUDGET 2025 AT A GLANCE||| SOME KEY PROVISIONS

 

POLITICS OF FREEBIES

VICTIM STATES, FINANCIAL IMPACT

© SARASIJ MAJUMDER

Congress committed FREEBIES, trapped the MUFFTKHORS, and  won election in Karnataka some time ago, and on 25^th November,  in TELENGANA. Telangana has +16% MUSLIM POPULATION.

This corrupt practice in election politics was first introduced by the 2^nd most corrupt politician of the country- Mr. Kejriwal, Head, AAP, first in DELHI, and then in PUNJUB; and he is successful in both the states.

Mrs Mamata Banerjee, Head, of the  most corrupt political party TMC is ruling BENGAL by a combination of several FREEBIES, and direct donations to local CLUBS, who supply the ruling party with  Lathers, Strong Arms, and LUMPENS.

If you look at the FREEBIES committed, you will identify the target group . I have listed below the total list:--

- A lump-some amount committed to WOMEN, Monthly.

- Gas cylinder at  subsidized price.

- Free travel in Bus/ Local Train for women.

- An amount, to be paid to land owning Farmers, annually / Bi- annually.

- An amount  to Agrarian Labour Class, without Land.

- A minimum unit free electricity for all households.

- Some land to  some Homeless Category of people.

- Some fixed amount, paid at one time  to all those who don’t own home.

- some fixed amount per month to every student.

- A fixed amount per month for all senior citizens.

- Minimum Fixed insurance to all senior citizen.

- Some Gold at the time of WEDDING to the women.

- Subsidy to MADRASAS, Payment to MULLAHS…

NOTE:-- All are not committed by all States. Regional priorities are criterion.

I didn’t quote the amount which is committed by different parties, for different states, and are different.

NOW,  INTENTIONALLY, ALL  THE PARTIES KEPT QUIET ABOUT THE CUT OUT LEVEL OF  MONTHLY , OR ANNUAL INCOME THAT QUALIFY FOR SUCH FINANCIAL SUPPORT, TO MISLEAD THE ELECTOTATE.

However, we must remember, Centre has many schemes to support and provide relief to weaker sections.

Now, we will discuss about ECONOMIC STATE of the Four States mentioned above.

The total Debt of WEST BENGAL on Centre is Rs.6.47 Lakh Crore, as on November, 2023 . Per Capita :-- Rs. 63,700/-.  WEST BENGAL has become a WEAK STATE, INDUSTRIALLY, and ECONOMICALLY.  Agriculture, Forestry,  some small scale garments industry, a very few old large Industries, Cottage industry and TEA are presently the source of income of  the state. Once it was most advanced Industrial area of INDIA.

Total Debt of DELHI:- There is an Outstanding Debt of ₹ 41,481.50 Crore as on 31/03/2022, resulting Debt GSDP ratio to 4.59%. Please note that before AAP, DELHI was a healthy REVENUE SURPLUS STATE. It can’t fund now various development projects, and after the Delhi government admitted to spending Rs 1,073 crore on advertisements in the last three years, the Supreme Court  said that if Arvind Kejriwal's government can spend Rs 1,100 crore on ads, “certainly contributions can be made to infrastructure projects”.

TOTAL DEBT OF PUNJUB:- Punjab has accumulated a debt of over ₹47,000 Crore in the past a year and a half, prompting calls from economists to rationalize freebies amid lack of resources to make fresh capital investments as the State's outstanding debt hovers over 50% of its GDP.

Total Debt Of Telangana:- The outstanding  debt of Telangana is ₹3.14 lakh Crore, 27.4% of the GSDP which was against the State Government's own target set for maintaining outstanding public debt of less than 25% of the GSDP. The State at the end of 2021-22 had a revenue deficit of ₹9,335 crore and a fiscal deficit of ₹46,639 crore. It further deteriorated.

KCR had already destroyed Telangana's economy by freebies and now Congress committed new freebies. It will be very dangerous for Telangana's financial condition.

Cost to fulfil FREEBIES COMMITTED by CONGRESS for TELENGANA, the estimate  may be over  Rs 2.0 lac crore, While total budget of Telangana is Rs 2.57 lac crore. Revenue is  less than  1.95 Lac crore.

Telangana is already in huge financial crisis. Huge debt, huge revenue expenditure, and huge committed expenditure. And it is already a SICK STATE.

In DELHI, and PUJUB, if ELECTORATE change the FREEBIES BASED Government, things may improve.

KSR , & MB  has already put the ECONOMY of their respective state in COFFIN. Congress will  put a LID on that in TELENGANA, and NAIL IT DOWN.

 

Data SOURCES:-- All data are  in public  DOMAIN. Key references listed below.

1.0 Published Election Manifestos of the states covered.

2.0 Published state budgets in the State Government sites.

3.0 NITI AYOG REPORTS, and Publications.