This being a pre-election year, there were wide expectations that the Union Budget would announce populist measures. And, as expected, not many people in Nagaland will have the interest to study the Budget 2023 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament. Nobody in Mokokchung followed it too, most probably. While it is not expected of every single person to follow, study and critique government Budgets, it is surprising that people in Nagaland are least bothered about state and union Budgets. This perhaps is a reflection of the poor economic status of the state. The Budget is the crux of any government’s economic policy. Yet, a great majority of the people here remain blissfully ignorant about the Budget and the economic policy of the government. The Budget is like a tool that aids the government in controlling economic fluctuations and ensuring proper handling of inflation and bringing about economic stability. How much your smartphone costs or how much you pay for your new car all depends on the Budget; How much help the weaker sections of the society ought to receive, and which businesses or markets will grow in the next few years are all reflected in the Budget. In fact, every rupee you earn or spend is tied to the Budget; yet, it is disappointing to see very little or no interest on the Budget among the locals here.
Maybe economics and Naga people were not made for each other. Had there been a class of people with the acumen to analyze and critique Budgets and economic policies of the government, perhaps our economic situation would have been on a higher plane than it is today. Students of economics should at least share their insights. It is also very unfortunate that policy makers and their advisors in Nagaland are also not vocal about their opinions on the Budget – whether for or against. Sujata Paul, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Media Coordinator, slammed the union budget as “useless” during a press conference in Dimapur the other day, saying that there was “nothing” for Nagaland. It took a stranger from Dehradun to speak up for Nagaland in respect of the Budget 2023 while almost everybody in Nagaland remained unmindful.
The government claims that the Budget 2023, which is also the final budget before the 2024 elections, is its mantra of inclusive growth particularly targeted at youth, women, farmers, OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, differently abled people, economically weaker sections and other underprivileged sections. Meanwhile, the Budget 2023 has cut the allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by 21.66% for 2023-24, attracting criticism from some quarters. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 60,000 crore for the scheme, lower than the budgetary estimate of Rs 73,000 crore for 2022-23. This means your village will be receiving lesser MGNREGS funds this year. In her Union Budget 2023 speech on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced some targeted schemes for tribal welfare, ranging from better education to clean drinking water to sanitation. Some say this is to woo tribal voters ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
As usual, those in the ruling dispensation will praise the Budget while the opposition parties will point out the loopholes but that is the beauty of democracy. Unfortunately, in places like Nagaland, most people are not even aware of what a Budget is – let alone understand the politics behind it.