Published 07:46 IST, February 1st 2020

Union Budget 2020: Get real, for your own sake and the country's future

In a few hours from now, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will tell us how she plans to manage the country’s coffers over the next 12 months

Reported by: Chitra Subramaniam
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In a few hours from w, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will tell us how she plans to man country’s coffers over next 12 months. For more than one reason, budget 2020 has to be real and grounded, as in bringing back faith in government’s capacity to run a country India’s size. And re’s better way than managing money that can show. All else is detail.

Like millions of Indians, I am t holding my breath, but I am holding out hope – when hope is lost, everything else it. I get sense that this time around if re is an absence of sustained dialogue during and after budget with people, it will be beginning of a conversation of, for and by India’s young, weary of being eir igred or taken for granted as vote banks.

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I consume a budget like I consume techlogy and or domains that affect my life closely. Unexceptional. I am t an ecomist and people more qualified will comment on and crunch numbers as y roll out on Saturday. Over past six months, I have been reading texts on law and money and people’s relations to both in context of ir nations and ir relationships with it. Trust binds both. It has to be earned.

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Translated, it means it is government’s job to enable country and its people to legally make money, thrive and build a strong nation because it is our right and our responsibility. People I meet want neir doles r patron, much less excuses. All y seek is an opportunity to work, grow and contribute to country with pride and happiness. Patriotism is t just about carrying a flag – it is also about building national character and India’s young want to lead. Set m free t with ecomic opportunities.

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one is looking for a magic wand. We want a budget with neat and clean numbers that will tell us how we can become individually and nationally richer (reviving growth), what are investments in sectors that spur ecomy as well as giving a fillip to public health and education. last two are critical if we want to go from being a developing to a developed nation. A sick nation will never be a happy nation. Investments in health are t costs. t investing in health will become an unbearable one. India’s double burden of disease is secret.

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Beyond that, re’s a pivotal point to be made. It revolves around need to ensure money that it is t a thief. We pray to goddess Lakshmi, giver of wealth. incarnation we w need is a Durga unshackling Indian ecomy and cutting through ugly morass it has slumped into. We need a democratically verifiable mechanism that will begin destruction of corruption and unleash potential of my country’s young and talented.

We also need to kw how government plans to get out of way so wealth can be generated and jobs can be created in an honest, organised and predictable manner. Pet peeve – a gainfully employed people is a peaceful people – so tell us w how over one million jobs per month will be created, where and by whom? last budget foxed everyone – more one looked, more re was thing to find.

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Read here: https://stg-newweb.republicworld.com/opinions/what-gives/nirmalas-neti-neti-budget.html

India wants neir a dream budget r a scream budget, but a real budget. Hope re has been a real attempt to listen to business and or leaders with new ideas new ways of doing work. For if you go to same people, you will get same results also called vested interests. If we continue to tax same people (mostly honest taxpayers – a mere three per cent of population) we will t become a $5 trillion ecomy anytime soon. Large infrastructure projects need long-term investments that must be allowed to work without hindrance and political interference. For this to happen our politicians must understand risk that business people take. Unfortunately, only risk our leaders see is on to ir chairs. system cant continue to run people to ground making m feel like criminals if y want to set up a company in India, invest in our mega projects and expect returns. Even Indian business community is worried.

How long till India’s famous democratic dividend begins to get its place in sun without being “sold” abroad as a potential market or an investment destination? Semantic jugglery will t come to government’s aid this time around. r will blaming external factors, oil prices and related swings. Someone has to stand up and take responsibility for difficult situation we are in and lead with straights arguments. Don’t set goals that will be unattainable. Get real, for your own sake and don’t let country’s future down.

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