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Lok Sabha Debates

Further Discussion On The Motion For Consideration Of The Finance Bill, 2008, ... on 28 April, 2008

an> Title: Further discussion on the motion for consideration of the Finance Bill, 2008, moved by shri P Chidambarane on 25 April 2008.

   

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO (KALAHANDI): Sir, I would continue from where I left last time when this discussion took place. I was mentioning about agriculture as to how to increase its productivity in order that we are able to get a 4 per cent growth in GDP. I already have made various suggestions to this effect. The main suggestion that I would like to give is that most of our arable lands are not fully irrigated. We get 4,000 billion cubic meters of waters out of which we have been able to utilize only 30 per cent of that. What we now hear that by the year 2010 the Government would be able to create irrigation potential to irrigate about 1.4 million hectares of land. I do not know how he is going to achieve that target. He now proposes to form a new Corporation by the name Irrigation and Water Resources Finance Corporation with a corpus of about Rs. 100 crore to complete the old projects.  Recently I happened to visit Jharkhand to see a project as a Member of the Committee on Water Resources and we found a project which was still incomplete that was inaugurated by the late Jawaharlal Nehru. So, it could be well imagined how this sector has been totally neglected. The farmers require credit facilities; they require water resources; they require irrigation and timely procurement and the right Minimum Support Price. Today agriculture is becoming unsustainable. Farmers are not feeling secure. So, to make farming a profitable proposition, the Government must come up with new programmes and look at land reforms. I would like to compliment the State Governments of Kerala and Bengal who initiated land reforms and their efforts have been appreciated by the International Monetary Fund. That is a noble thing. But it is a sad thing to say that these farmers are not cultivating their land. They are giving them on lease and running away from rural areas because of unsure irrigation and unsure credit facilities. The small land holders are migrating to the urban areas. Today urban centres are becoming crowded and the rural areas are becoming empty. Forty per cent of the population today lives in urban areas.

          Sir, next I will turn to taxes. I would like to congratulate the Government as well as the tax payers, particularly the direct tax payers, because the Direct Taxes have overtaken the Indirect Taxes in its collection and also the corporate tax payers. But the Government must look at the problems of the Corporate Tax payers. It is not only the private companies that pay the Corporate Tax, but the Public Sector Enterprises also pay Corporate Taxes. They are 244 in number employing about 17 to 18 lakh employees, excluding the casual and non-casual workers. The tax sops that have been announced this year will definitely have an encouraging effect on the tax payers, but it should be simplified. The income tax forms, the wealth tax forms should be simplified.

          So, the assessee gets confused.  You must have something like a new tax code by which if the taxes are paid, you would get more returns and your income from direct taxes would improve further.  India, today, is the country which is paying the highest corporate tax amounting to 33.68 per cent and about 70,000 companies pay about 33.6 per cent corporate tax and about 30,000 companies pay between 30.6 per cent to 33.6 per cent corporate tax.  Small enterprises pay between 30 per cent and 33.6 per cent tax.  You will be astonished to know that the biggest contributor of the excise duty or the corporate taxes which are collected, are from Oil and Natural Gas Commission.  They are coming up with a lot of projects like refineries in the country and my State, Orissa, will be hard hit if Paradip Refineries are not given concession and there will be delay in the project coming up.  I read about it in the newspapers.  I was hearing about it from Mr. Sarthak, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation the other day who was my school mate.

           As regards tax holiday, I would like to say about hospitals. I congratulate the Minister that hospitals which have been started in different rural areas will be getting 100 per cent tax holidays. But here I would like to recommend one thing. It should be extended to ten years instead of five. If you are giving tax holidays to hospitals, you should also give it to those institutions which are imparting nursing, pharmacy and other medical training courses. Otherwise, the health sector will be totally neglected The biggest sector after IT in the country is the health sector and it has got a future. The excluded areas which he has named are metros. But I feel that somehow super speciality hospitals are required in the excluded areas also and they should be termed accordingly.

          Regarding corporate tax, I was saying that we are paying the highest.  In the European Union, out of 27 countries, seven countries have already reduced it.   Bulgaria has reduced to about five per cent.  As regards Asia Pacific Region and as regards the Look East Policy, we say that China is our competitor but China has reduced its corporate tax to 15 per cent for small scale sector and technological specified sectors. For big sectors, it has cut down to about 20 per cent.   So, if we want to compete with China whom we feel is the biggest competitor with India, or Indians feel that China is the biggest competitor as regards foreign investments, it is time that we should give level-playing field to our Indian corporates also so that they can compete with outsiders.   If we do not give them the level-playing field, all the industries will go to China and other Asian countries.  India should be a good destination for capital investment because alongwith agriculture, capital investment also should grow in the country. And this will strengthen the service sector also.

          Regarding UNESCO sites, the hon. Minister has given tax holidays and other sops for development of hotels and other  infrastructural facilities for UNESCO sites. But UNESCO sites are over-saturated which is what I feel.  I think the tax holiday should be extended to other major archaeological sites which have not been declared as UNESCO sites and are on the verge of getting declared as UNESCO sites but are under the protection of ASI or the State Archaeological Department.  These sites have a lot of value and a lot of researchers and professors who go down there do not have accommodation.  So, the archaeological sites which are in far-flung interior areas of the country cannot be reached by explorers, archaeologists, etc.  Thus our heritage is not coming t[MSOffice18] o light. 

          The tax holiday should be extended to these sites also for the development of infrastructure in these sites.  It is a very important step if you want our cultural heritage sites to sustain and should be kept fine. 

          I would like to say about skill development.  The Labour Commission Report 2007 says that we do not have enough skilled people in the country.  We have more children with bookish knowledge.  So, we have to develop skills.  With industries coming up, skill development is primary.  You have made a projected investment of Rs. 15,0 00 crore and the Government’s participation will be Rs. 1,000 crore.

          Kalahandi is a backward area.  We have a large number of industries coming up there based on bauxite.  Other industries are also coming up.  The Government’s investment for setting up a tool room in Kalahandi should be in the agenda of the Government so that poor adivasi tribals will get a chance to get some skills and get jobs to earn their livelihood.  Let it not be with private participation, but let the Government take the initiative and do this in Kalahandi, Koraput, Bolangir and Sambalpur.  It is because this has become the bauxite and aluminium hub of the country.  Many industries like, Vedanta, Sterlite, Hindalco, Birla are coming up.  But the saddest part is that the skilled posts are being filled by people coming from outside.  They are coming from Bhilai and they are coming from other industrial areas and they are getting jobs.  This is earning the wrath of the local people and the local people are angry about it.  They say that we have given our land; our soil and we have given our forest for the development of industries, but today when the industries are coming up, they are sleeping hungry and they are not getting a chance to serve and earn their livelihood.  So, I would request the Government to kindly look into the matter seriously and enact the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill as fast as possible.  It has been already introduced in Rajya Sabha.  I hope it is done immediately so that people get some respite. 

          Regarding tax holiday, I would like to mention about palm oil.  Once upon a time, palm oil was part of the PDS along with rice, wheat, kerosene and sugar.  But today palm oil seems to have vanished.  Local manufacturers of palm oil or vegetable oil are being charged a duty of Rs. 8,000 and odd on crude palm oil.  So, I would request that it should be reduced to Rs. 2500 per tonne. In Sri Lanka they are paying Rs. 1,000 per tonne of palm oil.  The palm oil sector in South East Asia is being dominated by countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka.  So, the Indian producers should be given some concessions in the matter.  So, this rate on crude palm oil should be reduced to a minimum of Rs. 2,000 or Rs. 3,000.  Then only they could compete and it could be a part of the PDS, to serve the poor people of the country. 

12.39 hrs. (Shri Varkala Radhakrishnan in the Chair)           My next point is about the wealth tax and income tax forms.  They should be simplified.  The new tax code proposed by so many groups and conglomerates may please be considered seriously.  Backward regions like KBK region in Orissa, Palamu region in Jharkhand and such other regions in other parts of the country should be given the thrust.  Additional and proper funds should be given to them to develop irrigation sources so that the farmers could benefit, who are the mainstay of our country.

          As rightly pointed out by the hon. Finance Minister a couple of days back, food production has stagnated.  Who is responsible for it?[MSOffice19]  Who is responsible for the stagnation? It is because most of the time, the Government was led by the Congress Party. In these four years, they have not been able to improve the production of rice and wheat which is becoming a big problem and in the world there is a crisis.  So, India should lead in this sector.   We cannot forget the PL-480 days when we used to get wheat imported to India which was not fit for human consumption. But we came out of that.  We had the Green Revolution.  Now, people are talking about the Evergreen Revolution.   But are we prepared for the Evergreen Revolution to the farmer? He is suffering the most.  Can the hon. Minister of Finance commit in this House to reduce the interest rates on farm loans, to 4% and the farm credit at four per cent, as suggested by the Swaminathan Committee Report? Swaminathan comes from his State and Swaminathan Foundation is there in Chennai. The Swaminathan Foundation is working in Orissa.  They are doing a wonderful job.  We are grateful to them.  Besides, here they are doing a very good work.

          Sir, while I was going through the Budget, I found that a suggestion has been made regarding Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA). You had given Rs. 7 crore in the last Budget and now you have given Rs. 18 crore. So, you are giving Rs. 25 crore in total. Will that suffice?  You have got only seven clusters in the country. So, I would request you to kindly extend these clusters to backward regions of the country.  You extend it to the backward States like Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, and to Chattisgarh.  You extend this provision of Urban Amenities to clusters in the States.  Then only, the people will be satisfied and happy because a human being requires proper health, proper education facilities and proper drinking water facilities.  So, these five primary requirements of any individual or any family should be met in the rural areas also.  That is why this big rural-urban divide is taking place.  So to stop it, a provision of Rs. 25 crore is nothing. It is peanuts.  So, I would request that he should make it at least Rs. 1,000 crore so that this could be extended to other areas also.

           

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR (AURANGABAD, BIHAR): Sir, I rise to speak on this Finance Bill.  It is my privilege to do so because I sincerely feel that the hon. Minister of Finance has presented an extremely good Budget this year. There has been universal appreciation of the Budget and despite what my good friend, Shri Bikram Keshari Deo, may have said, the Budget is a reflection of India’s good fiscal health.  This no doubt goes back when the foundation was laid during the 1991 to 1996 period of financial reforms.  But they did create a climate which is congenial to investments and more importantly, it led to a good deal of increased foreign direct investment. 

          Sir, the Annual Economic Survey also mentions that there was an increase in the investment rate from 25.2 per cent of the GDP in the very first year of the Tenth Plan to a hefty 36 per cent in the last year of the Tenth Plan period which finished last year on the 31st of March.  If India is today in good fiscal health, it is because of prudent management of the fundamentals of our economy.  I compliment the hon. Minister of Finance for maintaining a moderate and stable tax regime, and above all, of simplifying the process of compliance with this regime. It is because of this simplified procedure that the Government revenues have gone up so much.[a20]  We unhesitatingly appreciate the fact that tax collections have been of an unprecedented high. For this, we must not only compliment – as our friend Shri Deo has said – the tax payers but also primarily the system that has been put in place by the Finance Ministry because of which we are in this happy position.

         The Finance Minister has also announced in his Budget Speech considerable reduction in taxes, excise duties, IT exemption limit, Central Sales Tax, reduction in some import duties.  But what is really praiseworthy is that in spite of the loss of revenue because of these reductions, he has made generous provisions for the social sector, social welfare schemes and social security  schemes. It is in the context of these schemes that I have to make a few suggestions.

First is about the Annapoorna Yojana.  Today it is permissible only to ‘destitute’ persons who are above 65 years of age and who have no regular source of income. There is something dicey about it, for the word “destitute”  is being misinterpreted by people who are tasked to operate this Yojana. At the same time, because there is also a scheme of Old-Age and Other Pensions, the question of destitute and the requirement of people not having any regular source of income, create problems. So, my suggestion is that we should make the Annapoorna Yojana admissible to everyone regardless of gender and anything else except that the person should be on the BPL List and should be  above 65 years of age.

          My second suggestion relates to the National Old-Age Pension Scheme. At present, everyone, who is on the BPL List and is above 65 years of age, irrespective of the gender or the number of people in a family – if it is family as a unit – is entitled to this Pension. The proposal that I have for the consideration of the Government is that the coverage should be brought down from 65 years of age to 60 years. We should also cover all widows between 18 and 60 years of age and also people who are handicapped. These are my three suggestions regarding the Pension Scheme. This, no doubt, is called the National Old-Age Pension Scheme. But if we are to include people who are handicapped, then, perhaps, there could be a small amendment to the nomenclature if only to benefit genuinely needy people.

          A very important social welfare scheme launched by the Government some time back in the 1980s was the Indira Awaas Yojana. A very hefty provision has been made in the Budget for the implementation of the Scheme. I have gone through the statistics of implementation in the various States in the country. I find it very unfortunate that the performance of my home State, Bihar, is not what it should be.  Whether it is in achieving the physical target or the financial target, the implementation has been less than 50 per cent. It is because of this that every time when we face our people in the constituency or elsewhere, we are unable to explain to them as to why they do not have a roof over their heads particularly when there is such an ambitious Scheme, the Indira Awaas Yojana, especially since its  implementation has been simplified now. Now, the Scheme is implemented on the basis of the BPL List. I know that in my home State, the BPL List had a lot of defects. Last year, we demanded that the BPL List should be scrapped and a fresh one should be drawn up. We were given the assurance that this would be done. Indeed, a process was launched and a new BPL List has been drawn up. But, unfortunately, even that has not yet been published with the result that the benefit that should have accrued to the deserving people has not accrued as yet.[R21]  Where the list has been prepared, even there the total number of people who have benefited from this is very small.  As I said, it is less than 50 per cent.  My suggestion to the Government of India is that though it happens to be within the jurisdiction of the State government and this being a federal country, we should not interfere with the state administration, surely there can be some system in place to monitor the expenditure utilisation of the funds given for these social welfare security schemes. My appeal is that this kind of a monitoring mechanism should be put in place so that the amounts that the centre gives to the States, and especially to my home State, are fully and properly utilised and this is done for the benefit of those who deserve it.

          The hon. Finance Minister has been really kind to the tax payer.  He has also been kind to the world of Information Technology which needs sympathy.  I am aware of it because I happen to be Chairman of the Standing Committee on Information Technology. I find that it is doing extremely well.  It is expected that by 2010, it will earn up to $50 million dollars abroad.  It was announced that some tax benefits would be given to the industry, but these benefits would be available only up till 2009.  My appeal to the hon. Finance Minister is that he should please consider extending the benefits beyond 2009.  If he could also consider making an appropriate announcement about this, we will be very grateful.  Another suggestion relating to income tax is with reference to IT deductions for individuals.  We acknowledge the fact that the hon. Finance Minister has raised the IT exemption limit and benefited all individuals, particularly, senior citizens and women.  But there is one sector which deserves his attention. This sector comprises of the people who are old, infirm and who do not have their own means of income.  They are looked after by their children and who, in turn, do not have any substantial means of income.  So, my suggestion is that IT deductions could be permitted to individuals who incur medical expenses on the treatment of their aged parents who have no substantial means of income of their own.  

          I now come to the problem of inflation.  It is a serious problem.  There is no doubt about it.  At 7.33% that I last heard, it is indeed a matter of concern and there has been naturally and understandably much concern expressed about the inflation rate. But, we must understand that inflation cannot be seen in isolation.  We have to see it in the world context.  We have to see as to whether our country is being affected by factors which are present all over the world.  Take the question of oil prices.  Three and a half years back, one barrel of oil cost us less than $50.  Today the oil price is $117 per barrel. 

श्री ब्रजेश पाठक (उन्नाव) :  माननीय सभापति जी, हाउस में कोरम पूरा नहीं है। कोरम के अभाव में वित्त विधेयक पर बहस नहीं हो सकती है। वित्त विधेयक बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण विधेयक है।

MR. CHAIRMAN : If an hon. Member is raising the question of quorum, I will have to check it up.  You please be seated.

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : I will wait.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Do you want quorum, Mr. Pathak?  

श्री ब्रजेश पाठक   :  सभापति जी, कोरम पूरा करा लीजिए।[MSOffice22]    MR. CHAIRMAN :Let the quorum bell be rung--

         

12.57 hrs.                                       (Mr. Speaker in the Chair) MR. SPEAKER: Now there is a quorum. The hon. Member, Shri Nikhil Kumar may continue.

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : Sir, I was speaking about inflation. I was saying that it is really very high and it is something very serious. We have to take note of this fact, but we have to take note of this fact not in isolation. We do not have to take note of the fact only in respect of India, but this has to be taken note of in the world context. Today, the world is facing multiple crises. There is, first of all, the question of the price of oil. The oil price today is at an all time high. From what we read in the newspapers, one barrel of oil today costs $ 117 and three or four years ago, it used to be less than $ 50. It is remarkable that in spite of the oil price going up by more than three times, our petrol prices have remained well within control. For this, we need to understand the mechanics of keeping the price under control and if we understand this mechanics, we will be in a position to compliment the Government.

          The second thing I would like to mention in this context is climate changes. Climate changes all over the world are creating geo-political problems and affecting mainly agriculture. Only the other day we had unseasonal rains in India and those unseasonal rains could have affected our Rabi crop. It is only hoped that these unseasonal rains have not affected or damaged our Rabi crop very seriously. But the most important thing is the food prices. The food prices today worldwide are at an all time high.

MR. SPEAKER: How long will you take?

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : Sir, I have just two more points. I finish very quickly.

MR. SPEAKER: We are going to adjourn for Lunch now. You may continue after Lunch break.

 

12.59 hrs. The Lok Sabha then adjourned for Lunch till  Fourteen of the Clock.

       

14.04 hrs. The Lok Sabha re-assembled after Lunch at four minutes past  Fourteen of the Clock.

 

(Mr. Deputy-Speaker in the Chair)   FINANCE BILL, 2008--contd.

 

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, I would request Shri Nikhil Kumar to continue.

1404 hours SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : Thank you Sir.  When we adjourned for Lunch, I was on my feet and I was speaking about inflation. I had said that inflation is high and 7.33 per cent is a very high figure.[r23]  It is a matter of some concern.  But we must not see the rate of inflation in India in its isolation.  It will have to be seen against the context of the world situation.  If you see the world situation today, it is facing a multiple crises situation.  Oil prices are at an all-time high.  A barrel of oil today costs 117 dollars; three-and-a-half years ago this was less than 50 dollars.  In fact the total increase in the price of oil has been nearly three-and-a-half times in these last three-and-a-half years.  This is bound to impact the prices of food and of fertilizers; of food because it will also involve transportation costs.  Similarly in fertilizers; it is a nebulous circle. It will affect the prices come what may. 

          The other crisis is of climate changes.  Only the other day we had unseasonal rains.  That will have most certainly affected our rabi crop.  We can only pray and hope that damage is not extensive.  But this kind of climate change is now affecting the whole world and we have to be careful about that. That climate change is impacting us also and willy-nilly it is also affecting our price rise. 

          Now I come finally to the food prices.  Food prices the world over have doubled in just one year's time.  In just one year's time food prices have gone up unimaginably.  In just one year the price rise has been nearly double of what it was in 2007, whether it is wheat, rice, maize or whether it is soybeans.  So the situation is that the high oil prices will affect  food prices, and the prices of fertilizers if, of course, the prices of fertilizers are not subsidised.  Increased food prices the world over will also affec us.  Parallel to that, there has been a wide shortage of food.  Food production has gone down. As a result of this deadly combination, there have been food riots across the world.  There is a social survey conducted by a United Nations organisation which has said that the Asia Pacific region is in for very serious financial turmoil.  It has gone on to say the reasons for this financial turmoil which will be affecting the entire Asia Pacific zone.   But here what is important to notice, what is significant is that the same survey has said that India will not be affected by this in the future.  This is a tribute to this Government which has done some remarkable things just now.  It has taken into account the increase in world food prices and banned food exports. It had earlier done so much for the farmers.  It had increased the Minimum Support Price.  And, of course, it has resorted to debt waiver which is in itself a revolutionary step. 

          The point I am trying to make is that whereas our Government is taking all possible measures that it can to keep things under check, there is a limit up to which it can go.  It cannot be delinked from the world situation.  We will have to take note of the fact that the world situation is going to impact our economy.  Therefore, today, it is a national problem.  We need to introspect.  All of us seated here, cutting across party lines, must do some introspection and come up with a suggestion, some policy decision so that we are able to interact with the whole world.  This serious situation that we are facing today is not of our making; it is a result of global factors.  Now, in the context of this, I say that national interest demands a policy that takes note of these factors.  There is need for a broad consensus here. Where else, but in this august House? It is in this context that we must see the appeal made by the Prime Minister the other day.[r24]             He had said and made an appeal that let us not politicise the issue of inflation. It is a fact that if you politicise the issue of inflation, what  you are doing is against the expectation of the entire country from this august House that it should come up with some workable solutions. It is here that we are in a position to put our heads together, build a consensus and allow the Government to work on that consensus. It is for this that I, in my own way, would make an appeal to this august House to help the Government build a consensus on meeting this critical situation, which I repeat is not of our making. 

          Having said that,  I would now come to two very important points.  The first  important point is about the Public Distribution System, and I say this with reference particularly to my State Bihar.  The situation in Bihar is not very satisfactory.  I am aware of the theory that prices are determined by demand and supply, and so on.  Today, in Bihar I have reasons to believe that there should be no shortage of food grains.  When I say this, I have with me figures regarding allotment of food to Bihar but the tragedy is that the off-take of this food allotment has been poor.  Sir, if you please permit me, I will give some figures.  In Bihar, the total amount of off-take of food grains allotted by the Government of India to that State in the past two years – 2006-07 and 2007-08 – is less than 40 per cent.    In the first year, it is 23 per cent, and in the second year it is 41 per cent.  It is well below what should be the Bihar Government’s effort to take the food that has been allotted to it. 

        If the PDS outlets do not get the food allotted to them, where do you think the poor people will go?  The food outlets in the blocks and at places in Panchayats also are not working well. If they are not working well, what is the reason for that?  There is a very ominous situation that has developed  which we must take note of.  The fact is that it is known in the whole world over, it is known in India, it is known in all our States, and it is known in Bihar that the world prices of food grains have risen and have more than doubled.  The private traders are only on the lookout for exporting food grains. In this context, the Government of India has done extremely well to ban food exports.  At the same time we have increased the Minimum Support Price by nearly 19 per cent over what it used to be during the NDA regime.  It is a big step.  It is there on the records.  But it food grains are not available to the common man and  he is not in a position to access food grains, then obviously there is something wrong somewhere. 

We have, in this country, a very ambitious Public Distribution System. But let me understand that it cannot be taken out and placed under the control of the Central Government for it is the responsibility of the State Government.  What the State Government needs from the Centre is an assurance of supply of required food grains, whether it is edible oil, food grains, or whatever.  This has been done.  As I said just now, the off-take percentage shows that the performance is very poor in Bihar.  Sir, if the prices are going up and we feel that enough is not being done, then let us not play the blame game, let us see why it is so.  It is because the Public Distribution System is not working well and so it has not been possible to keep the prices under control. Public Distribution System happens to be the responsibility of the State Governments. Therefore, I feel that the Bihar Government should be advised by the Central Government to see that the Public Distribution System is working and the off-take percentage is increased.[H25]            Sir, I would now come to what has been written about, spoken about and discussed all over the country, the revolutionary step of debt waiver of farmers for which we have complimented the Government, for which the Government has taken the credit, and justifiably so.  But I would submit for the Government’s consideration a small suggestion. This waiver covers debts taken up to 31st March,2007; by small and marginal farmers.  Their debt has been written off cent per cent and the debt of those, who are above this grade, meaning medium and big farmers has been waived up to the extent of 25 per cent.  It is fair enough. But this waiver has been up to 31st March, 2007 with overdue up to 31st December, 2007. My submission is: why 31st March, 2007? Why cover only the rabi crop?  Why not cover, in one full year, the two crops that we have in the cycle both kharif and rabi? If the Government is to extend this cut-off date to 31st December and with the consequent overdue up to 31st March, 2008, it will be widely welcomed as a fair decision and it will provide enormous relief.  The fact also is that it is just and fair that both the crops per year should be covered.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Thank you.

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : Sir, after making one small point, I would conclude.

MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: There are so many hon. Members of your own party who want to speak.

SHRI NIKHIL KUMAR : Kindly give me a minute.  I am speaking for my Constituency.  It is something very important that I place this before the House and before the Government.

          Two years running, my Constituency suffered very heavy drought because of lack of irrigation facilities.  The hon. Minister of Water Resources, at present, is not here.  But I have placed before him some suggestions to improve the water and the irrigation facilities in my Constituency.  But at the same time, in the State of Bihar, there are areas in North Bihar, which are every year flooded and consequently causing enormous damage.  In both these areas, there are lands, which are either  waterlogged or which are affected by drought.  The farmers who have taken loan against such land will have to be treated in a different manner; they will have to be given more importance.  For that, I plead with the Government that the classification of land for small and marginal farmers should be redone, and instead of two hectares it should be made four or five hectares.  It will be very fair.  Also, at the same time, their overdues should be extended to beyond 31st December, 2007.  This is an important suggestion and I hope that the Government will be kind enough to consider this.

          With these words I support the Finance Bill and I once again compliment the hon. Finance Minister for producing a wonderful Budget.

SHRI B. MAHTAB (CUTTACK): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I stand here to deliberate on the Finance Bill, 2008-09.  Long back, if we can say that, Vladimir Lenin had said:

“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstone of taxation and inflation.”             I need not explain the present situation prevalent today in our country. But I would congratulate the hon. Finance Minister who has said very categorically in his taxation proposals that:  “We are on course to achieve the Budget Estimates of Indirect Taxes and exceed the Budget Estimates of Direct Taxes.” The year 2007-08 is definitely a landmark fiscal when for the first time, Direct Taxes have contributed more than 50 per cent of the Centre’s revenue kitty.  Of the total of Rs. 5,85,410 crore to be mobilized from all Central tax sources, Direct Taxes mainly those on personal income and corporate profits account for Rs. 304,760 crore or 52. 06 per cent. This is significant because when we compare the present with that of 1990-91, less than a fifth of Centre’s gross tax revenues came from Direct Taxes.  The major tax sources then was Excise followed by Customs.[r26]  That time the Government mainly taxed production and trade. Now, it is income and profit. The shift away from indirect to direct taxes all through the post-reforms period is viewed as progressive, and I hope, the comrades will understand this basic issue.

Firstly, by taxing earnings of individuals and corporates, rather than production and trade, there is less stifling of economic activity. Secondly, whereas taxes on goods are paid by the poor and rich alike, taxes on income and profits have a relatively egalitarian character. The other progressive feature during the last 15 years is widening of the tax base, which has been because of service tax. Taxing services is a sector that accounts for 55 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. It is slated to yield around Rs.65,460 crore for this fiscal year 2008-09.

 Having said that, I would like to draw the attention of this House to an issue which I will be raising, which I think all the political Parties should consider and express their views. Under the Constitution, the State Governments have always had very significant responsibilities. They are responsible for law and order, education, health, infrastructure development and agriculture. However, they have not had commensurate powers either to raise the resources or to influence broader trends that create the context or enabling conditions for fulfilling these promises, these responsibilities. The assigning of responsibility to States is now becoming more pronounced by the Union Government. For instance, this Government has argued that the recent price rise, rising rate of inflation, is the problem of State Governments and must be dealt with by them. But who determines the fiscal policy, the monetary policies? Are not they the sole preserve of the Union Government?

Often we hear that the States are now flush with funds because of the increase in the sales tax, and therefore, do not require further transfer of financial resources from the Centre. The basic difference between the Centre and the States is that the State Governments face a hard Budget constraint unlike the Centre. This is often forgotten in this context. Since the State Government cannot impose service tax, and, therefore, must exclude the fastest growing segment of the economy from their resource raising effort, that means, that the States are at a significant disadvantage compared to the Centre. The basic means of financial transfer is through the successive Finance Commissions that are supposed to assure a fair and equitable—I give more stress on fair and equitable devolution--of fiscal resources from the Centre to the States. However, the terms of reference of recent Finance Commissions have gone beyond the simple allocation of tax revenues between the Centre and different States according to a given formula. This goes against the basic principle of federal devolution.

For all the talk of decentralisation, this actually amounts to a greater centralisation of Government finances. Direct Central allocations to States are increasingly covered by conditonalities, even if they are unsuitable to the State in question.

Another attempt is to undermine federalism and the authority of elected State Governments is the way the Union Government directly providing funds to Panchayats at the district level, with norms for expenditure determined by the Centre as well as decisions are made at the very top. It is true the fiscal health of States have improved.[m27]            Since 2004, all major deficit indicators have been declining. The revenue and primary deficits are now close to zero for the States. Even the fiscal deficit total is under three per cent of GDP.

It is generally perceived that this improved fiscal health is the result of the Eleventh Finance Commission’s award, but the significant increase has been in tax receipts of the State Governments themselves which in 2006-07 accounted for more than 55 per cent of their total financial resources. The share of Central taxes has remained small and shown hardly any increase as a proportion of total receipts. In fact, the States’ share of Central taxes as a proportion of the total Central tax collection has been declining since 2001-02. Is it not true that all State Governments taken together currently receive just around one-quarter of Central tax revenue, even though they are directly responsible for most of the public service delivery that directly affects the lives of the people? Is it not true that the grants have increased only marginally in share of total revenue of the States? Why is it that the substantial proportion of the grants provided to the States come in the form of Centrally-sponsored schemes, which is more than 21 per cent and Central schemes, which is nearly five per cent? Why do you include Central schemes’ grants as part of devolved resources? Are they not Central Government expenditure? All this suggests that fiscal federalism still remains an empty promise. If the Union Government continues to control public finance, then it should take more responsibility for the economic and social outcomes too, but not at the cost of federal character of our country and the Constitution.

          This Bill seeks to withdraw tax holiday, about which my colleague Shri Deo had also mentioned just a few hours before, to oil refineries that are going to be set up after 1st April, 2009. Because of this, the future of oil refineries that were to be set up during the Eleventh Five Year Plan has become topsy-turvy. The whole of projects have become topsy-turvy. The prospect of the proposed Paradip Oil Refinery is now in doldrums. Why are you withdrawing the tax holiday in the middle of a Plan period?

          I would like to delve into certain tax proposals now. The basic exemption threshold for taxation of individual in India will be higher than that in the US and in China. However, we are yet to reach the levels of the United Kingdom, Singapore or Australia. The reduction in taxes is expected to increase tax compliance and result in widening of tax base. There is no doubt about it, but there is very little relief to the fixed income group because as the Sixth Pay Commission’s Report is implemented, a large number of people, who feel that they are out of the tax net, will all be in because tax due date is March, 2009.

          A clause in this Bill is designed to target “paper charities” - for profit organisations that exploit tax shelters for non-governmental organisations. The clause seeks to clear the ambiguity in defining charity. I think, Shri Swain had referred to this clause while initiating the debate. Until now, you defined charity as relief to the poor, education and medical relief and the fourth area included “the advancement of any other object of general utility”. This fourth limb has proven to be vulnerable to misuse. The proposal is that organisations carrying on activities in the nature of trade, commerce, business or any service in relation thereto for a consideration or fee will not be classified as charity organisations.[SS28]      My point here is that the Government is free to take its own decision and implement it, but I would like to emphasise on a specific issue. This proposal, if enacted, will override the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Gujarat Maritime Board, where it was held that development and maintenance of ports was an object of general public utility.

          I am of the opinion that while the amendment is intended to exclude commercial entities from tax benefits available to charitable institutions, this amendment will affect Chamber of Commerce and Trade Associations as they collect fee for their services. The concept of mutuality may, however, apply to such Chambers, Associations, etc. This is not the only one, but as many as 23 court or tribunal judgements are slated to be overruled by this year’s Finance Bill.

          Around 11 tax rules are being amended while bringing clarity to prevent abuse of tax norms; the definition of charitable purpose is being streamlined; and the scope of agriculture income has been widened to include income derived from saplings or seedlings planted in pots. Interestingly, some of these amendments are proposed to be implemented with retrospective effect. Clarification is required on Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT), Deferred Tax, Dividend Distribution Tax, Interest on Income Tax as it will come into effect from 01 April 2001, reversing judgements in the case of Balrampur Chinni Mills and Salgaonkar Mining Ind. Similarly, the amendment doing away with the need for recording of satisfaction of initiation of penalty is proposed to come into effect from 1989.

          Such is the scope of the Bill on which we are deliberating today. On the same lines, a ruling in the case of Associated Cements has been overruled by amending section 201 of the Income Tax Act, which deals with the consequences of non-deduction tax. Are we not aware that our judicial system gives a lot of importance to case laws and precedence? Making retrospective amendments to counter judicial decisions on the grounds that they are contrary to the legislative intent creates significant uncertainty in the minds of the tax payers who have relied on such judgements while computing their taxes for past years. Should we say that the Government wants the tax payers to interpret the law more on its intent rather than on how it has been worded?

          Another point of concern is the proposal to levy service tax on information technology software services for use in the course or furtherance of business. Broadly, software can be categorised as general software and specific software. Today, IT industry is involved in significant litigation on the applicability of VAT on customised software. In view of the proposals to introduce service tax on customised software services, there should be clarity on the consequent non-applicability of VAT although the possibility that both service tax and VAT should be applied cannot be ruled out. Will the Minister clarify this point?

          Further, with effect from March, 01 this year, the packaged software is subject to excise duty at the enhanced rate of 12 per cent. Accordingly, on packaged software, including those intended for educational purpose, will be subject to excise duty at the enhanced rate, besides, the State VAT. This is a significant cumulative indirect tax incidence on such goods.[r29]   If the idea is that software in both its manifestation of packaged as well as customised versions should pay a uniform 12 per cent tax, then it should be stated in clear terms that it is 12 per cent either as excise or as service tax.

          I would come to the most important aspect of this Bill which has drawn the attention of at least the Agriculture Minister and a large section of the farming community. Transaction in commodity futures is a topic for discussion. The Minister has introduced the Commodities Transaction Tax on the same lines as security transaction tax. The Consumer Affairs Ministry has made a strong pitch for immediate withdrawal of this proposal. We are told that CTT would escalate the transaction cost by 600 per cent in some cases and drive market operations back to the illegal market.  Experts are of the opinion that Commodities Transaction Tax is a retrograde tax. Yet this Government is implementing it. A tax system should reduce the cost of operation in the formal sector and increase the cost of operation in the informal sector. The proposed CTT would distort the price discovery mechanism of commodity exchange. I would urge this Government to consider this proposal.

          I would like to draw the attention of this House about Rs.2,78,644 crore forgone in 2007-08 due to exemptions, of which Customs Duty is around Rs.1,48,000 crore and Central Excise is Rs.88,000 crore. These are disturbing figures. If one goes through the exemption notification in the Customs and Central Excise tariffs, their contents are mind-boggling. If one says that these exemptions are the biggest source of corruption, what would the hon. Finance Minister say? These exemptions are also perhaps the biggest source of litigation in the Department. Is it not true that interpretation of these exemptions forms bulk of the appeals before the Customs and Excise Appellate Tribunals, High Courts and Supreme Court?

          Lastly, I would like to draw the attention of the Minister about TDS. In 2004-05, it was amended. Many traders and firms deducted the amount but defaulted to deposit before 31st March. This amount has been paid subsequently. The period for which they defaulted penalty has been imposed and has been collected. Since the amount of TDS was not deposited in time, TDS amount is now being treated as income for the subsequent year and is treated as gross income and they have been asked to pay income tax on this. This should be reviewed. I would request the Finance Minister that once penalty is charged, why tax it again.

          With these words, I conclude, Sir.

 

श्री हरि[N30] न पाठक (अहमदाबाद)  :  उपाध्यक्ष महोदय, वित्त विधेयक पर बहस हो रही है जो शुक्रवार से शुरू हुई है। 2008-2009 के वित्त विधेयक को सदन में पास करना हमारा संवैधानिक दायित्व है। संविधान की धारा 110(1)(ए) के अंतर्गत हमें वित्त विधेयक पारित करना होता है। वित्त मंत्री जी ने अपने बजट में टैक्स प्रपोजल्स में जो कुछ सुधार किए हैं, चेजेस किए हैं, उन्हें इस बिल के जरिए सदन से पारित करना पड़ेगा।

          इतने बड़े प्रजातंत्र के प्रतिनिधि के नाते, तकरीबन 18-19 सालों से इस सदन के सदस्य के नाते मुझे इस विषय पर कई बार बोलने का मौका मिला। मेरे सभी साथी, सहयोगी और वरिष्ठ मित्र यहां बैठे हुए हैं।  हम सबका यह दायित्व है कि इतने बड़े देश में जो आर्थिक समस्याएं, चुनौतियां हमारे सामने हैं, मैंने हमेशा कोशिश की है और मेरा मानना है कि इस मंच का उपयोग, इस सदन का उपयोग हम लोगों की भावनाएं, उनकी अपेक्षाएं, उन्हें परिपूर्ण करने में करेंगे। चाहे सरकार में हों या प्रतिपक्ष में हों, उनकी अपेक्षाएं किसी तरह भी परिपूर्ण की जाएंगी। आपने देश को जो आर्थिक चित्र रखा है, बिल्कुल सही है, मैं उसे रोज़ी पिक्चर नहीं कहना चाहता, वह वास्तविक्ता से परिपूर्ण है। आठ प्रतिशत इकोनॉमिक ग्रोथ, जीडीपी 8.8 प्रतिशत, हमारा 2003-04 में 2,54,000 करोड़ रुपये टैक्स कलैक्शन था, आज वह बढ़कर 6,87,000 करोड़ रुपये हो गया है। It is about three times more. हमारे भंडार भरे पड़े हैं। आपने पेज नम्बर दो में खाद्यान्न के बारे में कहा है। उससे पहले आपने कहा कि चिन्ता का विषय है, उन्होंने पैरा 4 में कहा है, क्योंकि  हमारा एग्रीकल्चर का उत्पादन कम हुआ है यानी 2.6 हुआ है, बाद में उन्होंने आशा जताई है कि  और कहा है कि we are determined to become self-sufficient in foodgrains. यदि हम सैल्फ-सफिशिएंट नहीं होंगे तो हमारे पास कोई विकल्प नहीं है। 2008-09 में हमारी रिवैन्यू 6,87,000 होगी। 260 बिलियन डालर से ज्यादा हमारे पास रिजर्व फंड है। आपने आगे भी कहा है कि इस साल हमारा अनाज का जो उत्पादन हुआ, वह रिकार्ड उत्पादन है।  उसके बावजूद देश का जो चित्र हमारे सामने आता है, वह सही नहीं है। देश में सब कुछ है, देश में विकास हुआ है, आर्थिक  विकास हुआ है, जीडीपी में विकास हुआ है, मगर जो चित्र हमारे सामने आता है, मैं राजनीतिक बात नहीं करना चाहता, मगर यह कहना कि विदेश में जो महंगाई बढ़ी है, उसके कारण देश में आज यह स्थिति है, राज्य बराबर काम नहीं करते, उसके कारण आज देश की यह स्थिति है, तो मैं ईमानदारी के साथ कहूंगा कि हम देश के साथ इस सदन में बैठकर अन्याय कर रहे हैं। मैंने 20 साल में राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर अपनी बात कही है।

          अभी आपके सहयोगी मंत्री श्री कमलनाथ जी ने 25 तारीख को इस बारे में कहा है।  मैंने देश का सही चित्र रखा है। देश आर्थिक विकास की तरफ जा रहा है। देश में पैसा है, अनाज गोदामों में भरा पड़ा है  फिर भी लोग आर्थिक तंगी के कारण आत्महत्याएं  कर रहे हैं। पिछले सप्ताह महंगाई के कारण दिल्ली में तीन लोगों ने फांसी लगा ली। अब यह स्थिति ऐसी क्यों बनी है? आपके सहयोगी मंत्री कमलनाथ जी 25 तारीख यानी दो दिन पहले दुबई में एक बयान दिया है। उन्होंने  देश की स्थिति पर बोलते हुए कहा कि 30 crore Indians do not earn more than Rs.40 per day.  मैंने पिछली बार अपने वित्त विधेयक के शुरुआत में कहा था कि वर्ष 2006-07 का नैशनल सैम्पल सर्वे आपने बाहर निकाला है, उसे उठाकर आप देखिये। According to the National Sample Survey, 10 crore people in this country cannot afford to spend more than Rs.9 per day; 30 crore people living in villages cannot afford to spend more than Rs.12 per day; 30 crore people living in urban areas cannot afford to spend more than Rs.19 per day; and, 26 crore people are living below the poverty line. आप सारी  गिनती करेंगे, तो 80-85 करोड़ की फिगर्स में हम आकर रुकते हैं, जहां दो  वक्त की रोटी हम 60 साल के बाद नहीं  दे सकते।[MSOffice31]    फिर कहते हैं कि देश में प्रगति हो रही है।  हम इससे मना नहीं करते हैं।  उन्होंने आगे कहा है कि अभूतपूर्व आर्थिक प्रगति के बाद भी the fruits of economic growth have not reached the poor, middle-class and needy people of this country. कबीर दास जी ने एक दोहा लिखा है - बड़ा हुआ तो क्या हुआ जैसे पेड़ खजूर, पंथी को छाया नहीं फल लागे अति दूर। What is the use of date-palm tree as a traveller passing by that tree does not get its shelter and if he is desirous to get its fruit, it is at the height and thus inaccessible! यह अर्थतंत्र की जो चमक है, उसकी रोशनी देश के लोगों तक नहीं पहुंच रही है। 80 करोड़ लोग इस देश में दो वक्त की रोटी कैसे खाएं, इस पर हम सभी को इस पर विचार करना चाहिए।  मैं आरोप-प्रत्यारोप नहीं कर रहा हूं, मैं कोई राजनीतिक बात नहीं करना चाहता हूँ।  मुझे जब कभी सदन में बोलने का मौका मिलता है तो मैंने हमेशा वही बात कही है जिसे आपने भी देखा होगा क्योंकि आप भी सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता हैं, जनता के चुने हुए प्रतिनिध हैं, आप भी अपने क्षेत्रों में जाते होंगे।

   

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE                 (SHRI M.M. PALLAM RAJU): This is the right spirit.

श्री हरिन पाठक :  सांसदों को स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय की ओर से आठ लाख रूपए का कोष स्वास्थ्य मेले के आयोजन के लिए दिए जाते हैं।  मैंने इसके माध्यम से अपने क्षेत्र अहमदाबाद के एक गरीब इलाके में इसका आयोजन किया था। यही वजह थी कि शुक्रवार को मैं फाइनेंस बिल पर इनिशिएट करने वाला था, लेकिन उसके लिए सदन में नहीं पहुंच सका। तीन दिन में, इतनी धूप में लगभग 6 हजार गरीब लोगों ने इसका फायदा उठाया।  लम्बी-लम्बी लाइनें लगी थीं, एनाउंसमेंट करना पड़ता था कि तीन दिन के बाद भी अगर रजिस्ट्रेशन होगा तो आपको दवाइयां और ट्रीटमेंट मिलेंगे।  यह शहरों की स्थिति है।  इस स्थिति पर हमें गहन विचार करना होगा। पैसा आ रहा है, लेकिन वह गरीब तक नहीं पहुंचता है। योजनाएं बनाई जाती हैं।  आपने ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी योजना बनाई है। आपकी ही पार्टी के नेता कहते हैं कि इसका ठीक तरह से इंप्लीमेंटेशन नहीं हो रहा है।  यह हम सभी को मिलकर करना होगा। मैं दो-चार बातों पर विशेष ध्यान देना चाहूंगा। वित्तमंत्री जी, जब आप वर्ष 2007 में चुनाव के समय गुजरात आए थे, वहां आपने कहा था कि गुजरात की जनता पर इस सरकार ने तीन गुना ज्यादा कर्ज लाद दिया है।  आज हमारे देश का कर्ज 30 करोड़ लाख रूपए है अर्थात प्रति व्यक्ति पर लगभग 30,000 रूपए का कर्ज है।  यह कर्ज पांच गुना ज्यादा है। हमारे विदेश व्यापार में भी परिस्थिति बिगड़ती जा रही है, लेकिन आपने उसका उल्लेख नहीं किया है। इम्पोर्ट डेफिशिएंसी 40 बिलियन डालर है। At Page 17 you have mentioned about 21 per cent increase in export but what about the import deficiency? 260 बिलियन डालर का रिजर्व फंड होने के बाद भी हमें कर्ज लेना पड़ता है। We have taken 12 billion dollar from the World Bank and ADB. पैसों की आवश्यकता है, पैसे हमारे पास हैं, फिर भी हमें बाहर से कर्ज लेना पड़ता है।  देश एग्रीकल्चर के मामले में सेल्फ-सफिशिएंट नहीं हो पा रहा है।[R32]            ये सारी बातें हैं, सिर्फ कमलनाथ जी ही नहीं कहते हैं और भी कहते हैं। आपने भारत निर्माण की बात कही है। वह पेज नम्बर तीन और पैरा नम्बर दो पर है। मुझे इस बात का दुख होता है कि हम सबको मिलकर देश के लोगों की अपेक्षाओं को पूरा करना था, वह नहीं कर पाए हैं। इसके लिए आपका कोई समयबद्ध कार्यक्रम है या नहीं, यह बताएं, क्योंकि देश की आजादी के 60 साल बाद भी, मैं इस पार्टी या उस पार्टी की सरकार की बात में नहीं जाना चाहता हूं, लेकिन सच्चर कमेटी ने कहा था कि देश के 5,85,000 गांवों में से 2,12085 गांवों में पक्के रास्ते नहीं हैं। इसी तरह 3,500,35 के करीब गांवों में बस स्टाप नहीं हैं। 279009 में पोस्ट आफिस नहीं हैं। फिर हम भारत निर्माण में तीन साल के बाद क्या कहते हैं after 1000 days, हमने 17,000 गांवों को रास्ता दिया। अब दो लाख गांव बाकी हैं। आपने कहा कि हमने 52,000 गांवों में टेलीफोन दिए और 42,000 गांवों में बिजली आ गई। हिसाब लगाएं तो अभी ढाई लाख गांवों में ये सारी सुविधाएं जाने में 25-30 साल से ज्यादा का समय लगेगा। इस विकास की आर्थिक रफ्तार को किस नजरिए से आप देखेंगे, यह बताएं?

          मैं एक अन्य बात की तरफ आपका ध्यान आकर्षित करना चाहूंगा। मेहताब जी वित्त विधेयक पर बोल रहे थे। आपने किसानों के बारे में चिंता की, यह सही बात है और उसके लिए आपने 60,000 करोड़ रुपए के पैकेज देने की बात भी कही है। लेकिन यह एक पीरियड के लिए है, आपको समस्या के मूल में जाना होगा। Why are the farmers committing suicide?  This is one time settlement of life.  You have rightly pointed out in paragraph 4 that we have to be conscious about the increase of agricultural product. वह 2.6 प्रतिशत से बढ़ानी होगी। लोग मर जाएं, फिर हम उन्हें मुआवजा दें, यह ठीक नहीं है। देश में इस समय 67 प्रतिशत लोग खेती पर निर्भर हैं। आप कहते हैं कि मुझे किसानों की चिंता है। आप आई टी एक्ट - 2 (15)  में संशोधन करने जा रहे हैं। उसमें बताया है कि देश की जो सारी संस्थाएं हैं, वे चैरिटेबल इंस्टीटय़ूशंस के नाते काम करती हैं। जब देश में कोई आपत्ति आती है, चाहे बाढ़ हो, भूकम्प हो या बाहरी आक्रमण हो, ये चैरिटेबल इंस्टीटय़ूशंस हमेशा आगे पहुंच जाते हैं। मैंने देखा है और आपने भी इस चीज को देखा है। किसानों की चिंता करते हुए आप इस बात को भूल जाते हैं कि गुजरात और महाराष्ट्र दो ऐसे राज्य हैं, जहां एग्रीकल्चरल प्रोडय़ूस मार्केटिंग कोआपरेटिव सोसाइटीज हैं। महाराष्ट्र में सात डिवीजनों में 36 जिलों में हैं और इन्हें किसान चलाते हैं। किसानों को ये सहकारी संस्थाएं कर्ज देती हैं। उनकी फसल की रखवाली भी करती हैं और दान-पुण्य भी करती हैं। मैं उसके डिटेल में नहीं जाना चाहता, जबकि मेरे पास उसकी पूरी जानकारी है। उनसे आपने भेंट की है, they have met you and they are satisfied with that meeting. ये किसानों द्वारा संचालित हमारी सहकारी समितियां हैं। इसमें टू बाई फिफटीन संशोधन करने जा रहे हैं और गुजरात में 100 रुपए पर 60-70 पैसे ये लोग चार्ज के रूप में लेते हैं। उसके बदले किसानों के बच्चों को पढ़ाने का काम, गांवों में तालाब बनाने और स्कूल बनाने का काम ये समितियां करती हैं तथा सरकार को भी पैसा देती हैं। इसलिए किसानों की संवेदना की जब आप बात करते हैं, बजट में भी आपने कहा है कि एपीएमसी जैसी संस्थाएं जो किसानों से जुड़ी हैं, उनके लिए यह जो संशोधन करने जा रहे हैं उसके साथ वे महिलाएं भी जुड़ जाएंगी, जो समाज सेवा का काम करती हैं। गुजरात में इला बेन शाह हैं और लिज्जत पापड़ बनाने वाली ऐसी अनेक संस्थाएँ हैं। वह किसी राजनैतिक दल से जुड़ी नहीं हैं।[R33]  विदेश में उनका बहुत बड़ा नाम है। पापड़ बनाती हैं, गरीब महिलाएं उनके साथ काम करती हैं, उसको भी आप  2(15) में अमेंडमेंट करोगे, तो वे अफैक्टेड होंगी। जो मेडीकल स्टोर्स चलाते हैं वे अफैक्टेड होंगे। आप अर्थशास्त्री हैं, आप इस पर सोचिये। “सब कहते कागज की लेखी, मैं कहता आंखन की देखी”। मैं लोगों के बीच रहकर उनसे मिलता हूं। “टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया” ने पहली बार before your Budget speech on 28th February, for several days लिखा “बजट हो तो कैसा”. A series of articles had been written by the Gujarat Times of India. ये आर्टिकल्स प्रो. बकुल ढोलकिया जी, आईआईएम के पूर्व डायरेक्टर और मुकेश भाई पटेल, टैक्स कंसलटेंट, जो किसी पार्टी से नहीं जुड़े हुए हैं। हमारी पार्टी से जुड़े श्री जयनरायण जी व्यास, अर्थशास्त्री जी ने कहा कि कैसा बजट होना चाहिए। एक नया ट्रेंड उन्होंने शुरू किया।  I was a Member in Corporation where the Budget was presented by the Ruling Party where we gave amendments to the proposals contained in the Budget.  अगर हमें मौका मिले तो हम ऐसा बजट रखेंगे। आज उनके कारण हमारे सामने सारी बातें आई हैं। मैं चाहूंगा कि एपीएमसी जो किसानों के साथ जुड़ी हुई संस्था है, उन्हें जो चैरीटेबल इंस्टीटय़ुशन्स में माना गया है, रजिस्टर्ड हैं, उनके साथ व्यवहार ठीक होना चाहिए। एक तरफ आप किसान के प्रति संवेदना की बात करते हो। I am very sensitive. मेरा स्पष्ट मानना है कि हम यहां बैठे हों या यहां बैठे हों, हमारे कमिटमेंट में कोई कमी नहीं आई। देश की विधान सभाओं में, लोक सभा में हंगामा होता है लेकिन यहां बैठा हुआ प्रत्येक सांसद चाहे किसी भी दल का हो, इस देश की जनता के प्रति उसकी संवेदना है और माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी आपके हृदय में भी है। I do not doubt your integrity. कहां हम गलत साबित होते हैं, इन 60 सालों में, इसलिए मैंने इतने उदाहरण दिये हैं। After sixty years of our Independence, where are we lacking? Why our programmes and policies are not properly implemented? Why are the fruits of these policies and programmes not reaching our poor people?  यह यक्ष प्रश्न हमारे सबके सामने है। परसों मेरे क्षेत्र में, 42 डिग्री टैप्रेचर में, सभी धर्म के लोग स्वास्थ्य मेले के लिए लाइन में खड़े थे और पूछ रहे थे कि पाठक साहब क्या मंडे को चलेगा, मेरा रजिस्ट्रेशन है लेकिन बहुत भीड़ है। मुझे एक बात पर आपसे जानकारी प्राप्त करनी है, वह 182, पेज 29 पर है।  I fail to understand as to how the tax revenues are neutral. I would quote para 182 of your Budget speech at page 29. It says, “My tax proposals on Direct Taxes are revenue neutral.” मुझे जो कुछ ज्ञान इन महानुभावों से मिला और मैंने जो कुछ पढ़ा है, वह सही नहीं भी हो सकता है। I wish at the time of reply you could enlighten me that the calculations that I am quoting is not right and this is the right calculation. I am ready to accept that. आप कहते हैं कि जो टैक्स प्रपोजल है वह रेवेन्यू न्यूट्रल है।  This time you have not given the break-up. After all these beautiful tax exemptions, how many tax payers would be out of the net? I met a few economists and according to them there are about three crore tax payers in this country. Out of that only 60 lakhs would be out of the net because of these exemptions. The benefit out of the relief given would range from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 50,000. Average benefit would be around Rs. 24,000 to Rs. 25,000/-. [r34]  It is because you have not given the break-up, I am giving you the break-up.  If you have the break-up, please give it to us.

 

15.00 hrs. SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM:  Shri Suresh will give it.… (Interruptions)

SHRI HARIN PATHAK : Either you or Shri Suresh may give me the break-up. But you have not given the break-up. चार हजार मिनिमम है और दस लाख के ऊपर वाले को पैंतालीस या पचास हजार है। I am just requesting you to please give us the actual picture when you would reply at the end of the debate as to how many tax payers will be benefited.  According to me, the range will be from 4,000 to 50,000. अगर हम उसके बीच वाली रकम निकाले तो 20 हजार या 25 हजार रुपए के आस पास प्रत्येक को बेनिफिट होगा। मैं वह ढाई करोड़ नहीं गिनता हूं। If you multiply 2.40 by 25, the relief will be 60,000  crore. 60 हजार करोड़ रुपए आपको ज्यादा लाने पड़ेंगे। which you are giving as tax relief.  With Rs. 2,18,000 crore as income estimated in 2007, this year you are estimating Rs. 2,38,000 crore. 20 हजार ये हो गए। 60 और 20, 80 हजार करोड़ रुपए हो गए तथा आप कहते हैं कि ये रेवेन्यु न्यूट्रल है। मैं अर्थशास्त्री नहीं हूं। मैं छठे वेतन आयोग की बात नहीं कहता, वह फिगर मैं नहीं जोड़ता। किसानों की 60 हजार करोड़ की फिगर नहीं जोड़ता, लेकिन इन दो फिगर्स की तरफ देखिए कि जब आप 60 हजार करोड़ रुपयों की राहत देंगे, आप 2 लाख 17-18 हजार करोड़ रुपए से लेकर 2 लाख 37 हजार कीजिए और बीस-पच्चीस हजार करोड़ रुपए एवरेज मान लीजिए, जो भी हो, आप आखिरी में केल्कुलेट करके बताइएगा। 70-80 हजार करोड़ रुपया कहां से आएगा? The only significant revenue is from short  term capital gain tax. वे सब तो मारिसियस रूट से आते हैं। फारेन इंवेस्टर्स आते हैं। उनमें आपने 10 परसेंट से 15 परसेंट कर दिया। उसमें काफी लोग मारिसियस रूट से आने के कारण, उन्हें छूट है। Look at the present situation of the capital market!  Do you expect that you can raise your income? In paragraph 182, you say that capital revenue is neutral. I fail to understand this point. A minimum of Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000 crores is nowhere mentioned.  I would request the hon. Finance Minister to please enlighten us on this point. 

          Coming to my last point, I think there is some printing mistake in paragraph 181 which deals about Bank Cash Transaction Tax.  I was the first man to raise it.  When it was mentioned, I immediately screamed and then the whole House joined me. यह क्या हो रहा है? आप अपना पैसा बैंक से निकाल रहे हैं, उस पर भी टैक्स लगेगा। आपने कहा कि बाद में इसे हटा लेंगे। यह आपने अप्रैल 2009 में कहा है। यहां वर्ष 2008 होना चाहिए। मैं आपको मुबारकबाद देता हूं कि आप इसे हटा रहे हैं, लेकिन आप कैसे कह सकते हैं कि यह वर्ष 2009 अप्रैल में हटा लिया जाएगा। इसके दो मतलब मैं निकलता हूं कि या तो आप इस बार करें या अगली बार आप वहां नहीं बैठेंगे, इसलिए आपने पहले से ही हमारी बात मान ली है। हम इसे ठीक कर लेंगे, मैं तो पहले से ही इसके खिलाफ हूं। आप अगले साल के बजट के प्रपोजल की घोषणा आज कर रहे हो कि एक अप्रैल 2009 से कैश विड्राल पर जो टैक्स लगा है, मैं उसे विड्रा करूंगा। मैंने पहले भी सदन में कहा था कि यह व्यावहारिक नहीं है। मेरी प्रार्थना है कि आप इसी साल से करो, अगर आपने अगले साल के लिए हमारे लिए छोड़ा है, तो हम करेंगे ही करेंगे।

          अंत में मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि टीडीएस के बारे में भी आप गंभीरता से सोचें। एकोरडिंग टू इनकम टैक्स, अगर आप उस पर पैनल्टी लगाते हैं कि उसने टीडीएस नहीं भरा, आप उस पर चार्ज लगाते हो, उससे इंटरेस्ट लेते हो, उसके बावजूद उसने टीडीएस लेट भरा, उस एक्सपेंडिचर को ही इनकम माना जाए। इससे डवलपिंग स्टेट्स हैं, उसमें काम करने वाले लोगों को काफी परेशानी होगी।[R35]            मैंने जो दो-तीन सुझाव रखे हैं, उनके बारे में हम सबको सोचना पड़ेगा। इस देश की बहुत मूलभूत समस्याएं हैं, उनके बारे में एक-एक साल के अंदर नहीं आने वाले पांच सालों तक, 2020 तक देखना होगा, जो हमारे मन में था और भारत निर्माण आपके दिमाग में भी है कि इस देश में कोई भूखा न सोए, इस देश में किसान, गरीब या कोई व्यक्ति आर्थिक तंगी के कारण, गरीबी के कारण  आत्महत्या न करे। अगर आत्महत्या होती है तो चाहे वह किसी का बेटा हो लेकिन खून तो हमारे देश का है।     

          इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ मैं अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं और चाहता हूं कि आप इसे देखें।

SHRI GURUDAS DASGUPTA (PANSKURA): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, we have elaborately expressed our views while speaking on the Budget.  Therefore, there is limited scope to speak on this.  I do not rise to congratulate the tax laws.  I rise to raise serious concerns, apprehensions and misgivings about the way in which the tax system is sought to be evolved in the current Budget. 

         India is one of the lowest taxed countries of the world.  Let there be no misunderstanding on that.  Secondly, India is also one of those countries, which in terms of Human Development Index, is one of the lowest.  Therefore, tax is one of the lowest – poverty is one of the highest; tax is one of the lowest – deprivation is one of the highest; tax is one of the lowest – employment is also one of the lowest.  These are all irreconcilable truths and facts which should have been addressed or sought to be addressed by the hon. Finance Minister, when he was preparing, maybe his last Budget. 

          Then, the tax system is regressive.  I have no hesitation to say that the tax system is regressive.  We all know the implications of regressive tax system.  We can all see how because of the regressive tax system and policies that were being pursued, we are having huge concentration of wealth, fabulous increase in the richness of a number of people, increase in the number of millionaires and billionaires.  But the tax system is regressive.

          I must say with humility that the Government lacks the political perspective or commitment to increase the tax base and impose more tax on those who have the capacity to pay.  The tax laws have a bias and the bias is not pro-poor, but pro-rich.  It is true that tax GDP ratio has increased, but it is still very low. 

If I go into the details, let me start with income-tax.   Income-tax contributes 18 per cent of the total tax revenue.  But the exemptions have been doubled.  Due to increase in exemptions, doors have been opened for evasion of income-tax.  Secondly, let me look into the corporate tax.  The corporate tax provides for 30 per cent of the total tax revenue.  But the exemptions are 17.  Then, let me come to service tax.  In one of the booming sectors of the economy – the  hon. Minister will definitely admit – the tax has been as low as 12 per cent.  Therefore, the question is when nearly 20 per cent or 23 per cent of the people are exclusively deriving the benefit of economic development of the country, as per the Report presented by the Committee appointed by the Government, the tax laws do not provide for raising adequate revenue by imposing tax on them.[MSOffice36]  Let us look at the composition of the tax. The composition of the tax is --despite the increase in direct taxation -- still direct tax provides for or accounts for a little more than 49 per cent of the tax revenue. What is the direct tax?  Direct tax targets the people who do have a capacity to pay.  It is still a little more than 49 per cent.  It is not equity.  It is not development with equity. Tax laws lack equity to the extent that revenue derived is less than 50 per cent of the tax revenue.  On the other hand, the indirect tax accounts for more than 51 per cent of the total tax revenue.  Who shares the burden of the indirect tax?  The common people share the burden of the indirect tax.  Still today after four years in the Government with our support, the Government still raises major parts of its revenue through indirect tax, putting more burden on the common people.  Is it equity?  Is it social justice?  Is it the principles that we had fought for? 

          Sir, I am making only a short intervention. The question is tax exemption. Under the rule of Dr. Manmohan Singh and Shri P. Chidambaram in the UPA Government, the exemption has increased during these years from 5.1 per cent to 5.9 per cent of the GDP. The more is the exemption, greater is the scope for interpretation; and greater is the scope for interpretation, vigorous is the evasion, more is corruption and more is the scope to oblige the power lobbies and the political leaders. 

          Sir, what is the exemption the hon. Minister has forgone in terms of money? It is 5.9 per cent in terms of GDP, but in terms of money, it is Rs. 2,78,644 crore.  We have lost this money because of the exemption.  Who have been benefited?  Is it the poor people?  It is because only three crore of people pay the tax when we are having more than 100 crore of people.  Therefore, it is two crore or around 2.5 crore people who are benefited.  It is the corporates who are benefited. Taking advantage of mulitiple interpretation, corruption is perpetrated, political lobbies are taking care of and powerful corporates are not touched. 

          Sir, we had suggested to the hon. Minister while he held pre-Budget discussions.  We suggested to him that let there be a larger Budget - more Budget, more investment, more resources, and more targeted efforts to take care of the basic human problems of the country.  What the Budget is?  It is a little more than Rs. 7,00,000 crore.  We expected a Budget of Rs. 10 lakh crore.  We wanted more investment for the social infrastructure.  We wanted more resources to alleviate poverty.[a37]  We wanted the right of the people to have food; right of the people to have employment. But the Government does not dare to have a larger Budget because it does not dare to touch the rich people of this country. Pro-rich is the bias. Anti-rich is not the bias.  I have never said that it should be a Left Government. I know the class character. I know the limitations. I know the peculiar alignment of forces that we are living with. But the basic question is this. After sixty years of freedom and remaining in power with the Left support for four years, should not the hon. Minister of Finance Minister have taken to a new path, broken a new ground? What is the new ground? What is the exclusiveness? What is the newness?

          The hon. Minister has evolved a new English word “undoable.” Doable and undoable are used. What can be done and what cannot be done. Under the pretext of undoable, nothing new is being done. He is moving in the same way. We know that two steps have been taken – the Employment Guarantee  Scheme and the waiving of the loan of the farmers. We know that. But that is not all. That is important but that is not all. More important is a larger Budget, more resources, more tax on the rich, more investment.  Breaking a new ground, Shri Chidambaram, while placing the large Budget, you had not shown any light to the people. You have shown no new initiatives. You had not been true to the people who have voted you to power. You had not been able to establish that you are really different from the policies of the BJP. You have not been able to establish it. Therefore, what is the newness? We are sorry. We are extremely sorry. We do not want a mid-term poll to be imposed on the nation. Therefore, I do not put forward a Cut Motion. It is because of the compulsion of the situation. But I say that we are sorry. We are extremely sorry. We feel pained that the Government that we seek to support has been able to produce a Budget as this and formulate the tax laws as these. We are sorry. We are extremely sorry. I do not compliment the hon. Minister for the tax laws that he has promised.

          With these words, I conclude.

                                                                                     

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU (RAJAPUR):  Sir, I thank you very much for giving me this opportunity.

          In the last Budget discussion that took place immediately after the presentation of the Budget, we all deliberated on the contours of the fiscal policies of the Government. There was a lot of euphoria after the Budget was presented. A lot of thumping of benches all the time was there when the farmers were wailing, beating their chest and trying to say that they are not getting anything. We thought probably that if the farmers are not getting harvest in the field, we probably can reap a very good political harvest. But, unfortunately, it seems that this political harvest is also now under a serious threat. In that, we are now worried  how to go forward and face the elections. Now, the talk of mid-term poll, etc. is disappearing like the euphoria that appeared at the time of the last Budget. Why is this happening? This is happening because of inflation. That is really, actually affecting the common man.

          The first point is when we say that inflation is 7.24 per cent, 7.3 per cent, this figure is something which really needs clarification. I would request the hon. Minister to tell us how he calculated this figure. Basically, the Wholesale Price Index, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of course CPM does not figure here! – how have they calculated?

SHRI GURUDAS DASGUPTA :   It is a very intelligent remark.… (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU :   I will just come to that.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE (SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM): You have asked a question. I think it was in the same manner that you calculated between 1999 and 2004, when nothing had changed.[R38]        In 2000-2001, when I believe you were a Minister, for 48 of those 52 weeks, inflation was over six per cent.  For 22 of those weeks, it was over 7 per cent.  In 12 of those weeks, it was over 8 per cent.  If you believe that the numbers were correctly calculated in 2000-2001, please believe that the numbers are correctly calculated today. 

SHRI GURUDAS DASGUPTA : This only confirms my statement that the economic policy pursued by my friend and the economic policy pursued by my former friend are the same.

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : Therefore, the Finance Minister is saying that just before the election, what the rate of inflation was, it is prevailing now.  So, what is going to be the next election’s result is already forecasted.  My point was as to how you calculate it.  How do you actually calculate the inflation that is really hitting the common man and the money that is going out of his pocket because of increasing prices.  How does it get captured in the official statistics of the Government of India? I am sure if we go and talk to the common man, we will get this feedback.  When we say it is 7 per cent or whatever, the 7 per cent over the last year’s figure, which was already 5 per cent above the previous month’s figure, because we are already saying that the comfort zone for the Government is to bring down the inflation less than 5 per cent.  So, the inflation has been rising by 5 per cent anyway, because that shows the level of tolerance.  Above that, it has gone up by 7 per cent.   So the common man is getting affected because it is not just 7 per cent, but he has already lost year by year 5 per cent because that is the tolerance level. Those people who get dearness allowance, inflation gets neutralized in their case, but 90 per cent of the people are in the work force who are not getting like this comfort level from the Government in terms of increasing dearness allowance. They are the ones who are very badly affected.  Therefore, this euphoria has disappeared.  The Prime Minister said the other day that the political parties should not try to make capital out of rising inflation.  If this is so, the political parties can keep quiet and the inflation will go down.  We will be more than happy to keep quiet in that case if you can convince the common man that you should not make noise because we are taking care of it.  If that happens, we will be more than happy. But today, the common man is really suffering.  This was already expected. In the last Budget discussions, we had already said that supply constraints are going to create problems later because economy is rising and demand is increasing and therefore, there is going to be more demand for the products which are not available.  As a result of it, there is going to be inflation which is actually a structural problem.  Unfortunately, the Government did not pay any attention to it.  Today what are we saying?  Inflation is rising because of global trends.  So, global markets are responsible for this.  In India, it is said that the State Governments are responsible for this.  So, on international scale, it is the global market and on national scale, it is the local Government.  I wanted to find out the reasons for this.  So, I went to the State Governments who are busy fire fighting obviously.  So, I went to the district Government on the advice of the State Government.  The National Government has already divested the responsibility.   As you know there are 73rd and 74th amendments.  Now, the responsibility has gone to the lower Government.  About State Government, how can they take the responsibility?  The National Government has already abdicated the responsibility. Finally, I found out that a Sarpanch, the head of the village, should be responsible for this. 

SHRI GURUDAS DASGUPTA : It is the Tehsildar who is responsible for this, and not the Prime Minister.

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : But, the head of the village was not available in her house because she was out to find out if she could get some grains in the market.  So, I could not get the real answer.  Really speaking, the Government has come out with a real solution that is global trends and the State Governments.   Now, we should not be asking questions to this Government in Delhi but we should go around and find out as to who is really responsible for this. But, what is worrying us now?  It is the fiscal deficit.  In fact, I had said this only six weeks ago in this House. Now there are new figures.  In oil account, we have an uncovered deficit under recovery to the extent of Rs. 160 thousand crore by the end of this year if the same situation continues.  The prices are rising.  Already it has crossed $120 to a barrel.  If it continues, we will have a serious problem.  I had asked a question to the Finance Minister in the last discussion about the fertilizer subsidy.  The Fertilizer Minister himself has written a letter saying that the amount of fertilizer subsidy required to be provided in this year should be one lakh and five thousand crore of rupees.  [MSOffice39]            Sir, a loan waiver of Rs. 60,000 crore to farmers has already been declared. Now actually the Finance Minister answered a question only the other day that they are reconsidering it because there is already a demand made by various persons to increase that amount. So, there is a possibility that that amount will rise, but it is Rs. 60,000 crore as of today. Then, I do not know what is going to be the liability as a result of implementation of the Report of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

          The food prices are rising. I would request the Finance Minister to really tell us as to how much food subsidy would be required. As a result of all this, the interest rates are rising. The Government borrowing itself is going to be more than Rs. 1,30,000 crore and this would require additional interest provision because we are going to borrow at an additional rate. So, probably, all this put together, the fiscal deficit is going to be extremely high. What is the reaction to it? One reaction is that forward markets are responsible for it. My friends from the Left are saying that. But I am not really sure. If it is so, you can ban it, but it is not banned yet. Then, there is so much bad blood between the Ministers as to whether the steel prices should be brought down or not and they are not agreeing on this. So, even today, there is no unanimity as to how we would like to control the price rise.

 

15.26 hrs.                              (Shri Devendra Prasad Yadav in the Chair)           Sir, the growth rate is a very important thing because this has an impact on many things. This is a discussion on the Finance Bill and I should be discussing that. I will come to that. But the entire premise of this Budget is dependent on the growth rate. If the growth rate is not going to be 9 per cent or so, then the entire projections of revenue will come down. Then there is a pre-committed expenditure. So, there is going to be a bigger hole in the entire fiscal deficit. Therefore, I would request the Finance Minister to please tell us as to what is his estimation about the growth rate for 2008-09 and maybe for 2009-10 as well because that is an extremely important issue.

          The US economy was expanding for a long time and when it was expanding, everybody was pointing out to them that you have a current account deficit, you have a fiscal deficit, your national debt is rising, you are getting money from all over the world and your savings rate is declining. Of course, in India the savings rate is good. The US economy was showing all sorts of signals which were really alarming, but the Federal Reserve Chairman at that time, Alan Greenspan, the Treasury Secretary and the President were all saying that the US economy is going to expand further. But now the US economy is collapsing which is causing problems to all. My concern is that the Indian economy is also showing such signs for a long time and we have been pointing them out to the Government. I am not going into those details because I had spoken about it in the Budget Discussion itself. But my request is, let us pay heed to the right signals which are emanating and let us take corrective action so that the Indian economy will continue to progress. That is what we really want.

          Sir, the other issue is about regulation. This is an important issue because the sub prime crisis in US is also affecting many banks even in India and the SBI Chairman has said that it would require Rs. 300 crore or Rs. 400 crore.

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: You are mixing it up. He did not say about sub prime crisis.

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : Not the sub prime crisis, but because of the banking crisis. My point is that the sub prime crisis has created problems for the entire world and that is affecting many economies and the Indian economy is also going to get affected. So, my request is that we should look at regulation as a subject in which probably we need not look at regulation only nationally, but we should also look at regulation going beyond national borders. That is the issue which, I think, the Finance Minister would like to pay attention to.

          We are facing a major crisis in agriculture and we are really worried about it. Unfortunately, after this euphoria of the loan waiver of Rs. 60,000 crore, we have stopped thinking about how to revive farming as a sector. Unless we revive farming as a sector, agriculture becomes commercially viable and our farmers start making profit, this loan waiver of Rs. 60,000 crore is not going to work. So, we should actually make farming a profitable enterprise and for that we hope that the Government would come out with a proper plan. Unfortunately, it has not really come out with any such plan. Therefore, this is really a worrying thing unfortunately. The sub component of that is the issue of financial inclusion. The Government has come out with a very good nomenclature, but 52 per cent of our farmers are still out of the reach of banking sector credit. So, I would request the Finance Minister to take some corrective steps wherein we would be able to succeed in the next 10 years. We nationalized the banks way back in 1969, almost 40 years ago and though we paid a heavy price for nationalization, even then 52 per cent of our farmers are not getting any banking support and that is a very worrying thing.[R40]  I[r41]  would request the hon. Finance Minister to just read a very interesting article, which I was reading while coming to Delhi by plane.  It was written by Mr. Amit Bhaduri in the Economic and Political Weekly.  I know, it is totally a different view point, a view point to which actually, not necessarily, I subscribe to either.  But at the same time, he has come out with some very pertinent questions. We believe that growth automatically will result into trickled down effect, will result into availability of resources which you can allocate through fiscal allocation.  Therefore, growth is prerequisite to whatever we do. He has come out with some very interesting points.

          My request is that leave apart the argument there, but we really need to look at a different type of model in which this finance inclusion, which we talked about, the growth that we really like to take more people into our ambit, how can that happen is something which we really need to look into.

          Sir, the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manomhan Singh started his innings on a very welcome note. He made a very interesting point that we really need to improve the delivery mechanism.  Who can dispute this? Reforms on that count are long overdue. We are all waiting for some blue-print to be introduced by the Government on their side. Unfortunately, now this seems to be out of the agenda of the Government.  So, my request to the hon. Finance Minister would be to tell us how we are actually working on these issues, what we are trying to do on that.  That is something which will be of great interest to us.

          As far as outcome budget is concerned, I really congratulate the hon. Finance Minister for that.  It is for the first time, we are making an effort to find out how the money is being spent, what is the outcome of that, what is the output of that and we were trying to deliver out of that. But as I said, two years back, the outcome budget, unfortunately, the way the Ministries have prepared, is far from satisfactory.  In fact, it is ridiculous.    It is better not to have outcome budget because if now we accept this as an outcome budget, then that is something bad.  So, I would request the hon. Finance to really look into this.  In fact, I will present the hon. Finance Minister a Report, which we have prepared under my Chairmanship.  It is a good welcome measure and it is something which really need to be continued, but in a much improved format.  So, outcome budget is something really which is good but needs a revamp.

          Now, I come to provisions of the Finance Bill. Firstly, the Income Tax Act is something which is one of the most important laws that is administered by the Ministry.  But the Finance Ministry’s Revenue Department administers, not just one or two but 20 Acts.  So, it is impossible for anybody to really remember the whole objective of this, because it is under the Revenue Department, that is, is to raise revenue.   So, why not come out with one or two or maximum three Acts to make sure that they serve their purpose.  So, it needs to be looked into whether these 20 legislations are really required or not.

          Alongside with this the hon. Finance Minister has been telling us that he is going to present a new code for Income Tax.  Last time when I had asked him he said that it was going to come with very soon.  Now, this year is gone.  I hope, as a Finance Minister, he will be able to present a new tax code to this House and I hope before the Parliament is dissolved, he will be able to do that. In that we really look forward to a very simplified law in which the Chartered Accountants like me will not have any business to do because the Act will be simple.  So, we will lose some business, but I will be very happy to accept that.

          Now, I come to a specific section 2, sub-section 15. In fact, many people have mentioned this.  What is this section 2, sub-section 15?  In fact, it is a welcome measure.  I am not opposed to it. But what we are saying is, what is the intention of this amendment?   The intention is that if you are carrying out business, then the benefit that you get as a charitable institution should be denied to you.  But in this, they have already some exemption because you have mentioned that charitable object for business should not include objects like medical relief, education, etc.  So, that they have exempted anyway.  So, that will not be covered by this.

          My concern is little different.  It is with regard to the way the wording is made. For example, a charitable institution which is doing rural development work. In the process of doing rural development work, if it is interpreted that some activities are in the nature of business because business is something where it is not necessary that when you make profit or where the profit comes back, you have to see is the profit ploughed back into business of the enterprise or is it going out.  So, therefore, rural development types of activities should not be covered by this, otherwise, it should be actually a travesty of justice. Therefore, I request the hon. Minister to take this into consideration.

          Second is section 35 of Income Tax Act wherein he is trying to provide exemption to all the institutions which are going to do scientific research.  I will just read the relevant part.  He may correct me if I am wrong, he was saying that this will be available to a company only if the main object of this company is for scientific research and development.

          So, what does it mean?  If a company like Tata Steel wants to do scientific research, then it will not be in their main objectives to do scientific research, and obviously not because Tata Steel’s main objective is to manufacture steel. Therefore, you kindly see the wording that has been made.  My request is that it should be available for institutions irrespective of whether the main objective of that institution or the Articles of Association or Memorandum of Association of this company covers this or not.  What is important is that money should be spent exclusively for research and development.  That should be the purpose, and the way the wording has been made may actually draw different conclusions. 

          The other general point, which always agitates my mind, is this. … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: When did you read this Section? … (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : Just now.

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: That is the problem. Just go back and read it more carefully.  Keep the main Act and read it.  If you read it on the way to the House and you come into the House and make a reference, then you will fall into that mistake.  I will explain it in my reply. … (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : That is why, I have said that if it is wrong, please correct me.

          The other issue is that many of the exemptions that the Finance Minister would like to offer are welcome ones, like exemptions to hospitals and hotels.  The Finance Minister has said that you must start the operation between 1.4.2008 and 31.3.2013.  Sir, tell me something that if this exemption announced by the Finance Minister would have been knowing that the Finance Minister is going to announce it on 29.02.2008 and so I can start the operation from 1st April, 2008, within one month of the Finance Minister announcing it. Sir, you should give at least two or three years benefit by saying that whatever announcement that I am making now, if you start the operation within two years from now – that is the minimum time which is required to construct a hospital or a hotel – then the benefit would be available.  … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: You want more exemptions.

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : I am in fact saying that the date of operation should be such a way that it provides for such an institution to come up.  Otherwise, it is not possible, and somebody might actually just hoodwink the exemption, and somebody is already working and he will get the exemption but that will not be the planned one. … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: Which Section are you referring to? … (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : You have given some tax holiday … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: I am asking him as to which Section he is referring to.  According to him, it does not give enough time to start the operation. … (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : I am talking about tax holidays given to hotels, particularly because of the Commonwealth Games, which you want to give it in Delhi.  You are also giving tax holidays to hospitals because you are saying that if they start operation from 1st April, 2008, and that is what you are saying. You just imagine that when you announce it on the 29th of February, how could the hospital be ready to start operation with one month.  So, obviously … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: It does not say, “Start operation on 1.4.2008”.  It says: “Start operation after 1.4.2008.”  You have got five years.  … (Interruptions)

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : I know.  My point is, why should it be 1.4.2008?  If you really want to give an exemption, you should give two years leeway so that they can actually construct it. … (Interruptions)  The five-year window gets lapsed because you will get only three years window.  … (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: I will explain it in my reply.

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : Sir, the other issue is about advance ruling on income tax.  Sir, this advance tax ruling is a very important aspect of the Income-tax Act.  It was introduced some years ago.  Earlier, this benefit was available only to Non Resident Indians because they were not very well conversant with the Indian laws as if we were conversant.  And because of that, we thought that Indian laws should not be a hindrance for Non Resident Indians to do a business in India. So, we came out with a provision of advance tax ruling.  My request to the Finance Minister is this.  Why do you not make it universal?  You make it for anybody who really requires advance tax ruling, he should get it.  What is the harm in that? By doing this, you are actually helping the taxpayer and reducing the number of litigations.  So many cases which get locked up in the court, and they would not be automatically there.  Therefore, this is something which you should try to do. 

          Sir, cooperatives are denied income-tax benefit some time ago.  Then, the Finance Minister had said: “We are going to review it.  We are going to find it out.”  Sir, cooperatives are getting a lot of incentives from the Government in terms of their revitalization.  So, on the one hand, we recognize the importance of cooperatives.  That is why, we give them so much of money.  On the other hand, we tax their income by saying that cooperatives should also be treated at par with the other corporate. I think, the cooperatives should get a different type of treatment from the Government and, therefore, the taxation of cooperatives should not be at par with just the other institutions.[H42]            The other issue is about the accounts of the Government itself.  Mr. Finance Minister, if you want this particular system, the outcome should really be the focus of all Government/public expenditure.  We would have to go a little bit deeper and change the way the Government accounts are prepared.  We would have to make sure that the Government accounts are prepared in a manner that would give us a complete insight into how much money is being spent and for what purpose it is being spent.

          So, if you can bring about the uniformity in the Government accounts, Government budgets, Government expenditure and the tracking of it, it would really help.  Therefore, I would request the hon. Finance Minister to please appoint a Commission sort of an organisation, which can go into the Government accounts completely. It would take a few years time but it should be a very long lasting contribution that we would be making to the Government accounts of the country.

Sir, tax collection is rising but the number of people working in the Tax Department has remained more or less the same. In fact, it is a compliment that the collection expenditure of the Government of India is the lowest in the world. So, it is high time that we pay attention to some of these people who are working in the Income Tax Department. This Pay Commission has done a huge injustice to them.  In fact, they are all agitated.   Therefore, I would request that particularly for Revenue Departments like Income Tax Department, Customs Department, Central Excise Department, Service Tax Department, you must have a different types of pay roll; maybe by providing them with some incentives so that they can benefit from whatever tax collection they make.  This type of system should really be introduced.  I hope that we would be able to get something like this in the next few months time.

MR. CHAIRMAN : How much more time would you require for concluding your speech?

SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU : Sir, I am just winding up.

          The effective income rate of corporate been often pointed out.  Mr. Minister, I am not saying it; you have mentioned it in your Revenue Budget Document that effective rate of corporate is 20 per cent. Thanks to exemptions. In that very interesting figure, those corporate whose profits are higher, their effective rate is lower; and those corporate whose profits are lower, their effective rate is higher.  If you compare this with individual, there is a contradiction.  In fact, the corporate, in reality, are paying less and the individuals are paying more.  So, I think, we would need to reduce this disparity that exists in the system.

          Sir, my other issue is about the personnel of the Income Tax because that is what we are discussing. Transfers and postings of Income Tax Department or for that matter, all the Revenue Departments are always a bone of contention. Why not we come out with a system wherein something like a Board can be there so that there would be total transparency in this process and wherein automatically, all the wrongdoings can be reduced? 

          Sir, the hon. Finance Minister has set up the Internal Works Study Unit.  I would request him to please tell us as to how much progress it has made.  I have been going through the Annual Report after Annual Report and I find that this Study Unit is doing study.  May be, it is high time for the students to appear for the exam because they have done enough study. It may be really useful to us.

          Sir, the Service Sector is now more than 60 per cent of the GDP but the percentage of the Service Tax to the total tax collection is definitely not 60 per cent. So, I think, we really need to look at how the economic growth in terms of various sectors would be captured in terms of Taxation Policy. There is a need to make a distinction between the ones who have traditionally been paying tax and the new ones who are now making profits. How should they not be paying tax at all?

          Sir, about the VAT and the Service Tax, the hon. Finance Minister is thinking of brining in some sort of convergence.  It is said that from 1st April, 2010, just two years from now, it is going to happen.  What is the progress in this regard?   I was talking to Finance Ministers of a lot of States and they said that not much progress had been made.  If it is so, how could the hon. Finance Minister make it operational in two years time before having a proper spade work done for it?  Therefore, I would request the hon. Minister to please tell us in this regard.

          Sir, there are so many concerns of the common men, of the people who are suffering in India. Can it be reflected into the Finance Bill in terms of their getting some relief because many of them are not paying income tax at all? Therefore, there is no question of their getting any relief from it.  How can they be taken care of, it is the concern that we should have.

          With these few words, I conclude.

                                                                                     

श्री राजीव रंजन सिंह 'ललन'  (बेगूसराय)  :  सभापति महोदय, मैं आपका आभार व्यक्त करना चाहता हूं कि वित्त विधेयक, मूल तौर पर आम बजट में वित्त मंत्री जी का जो भाषण इस देश के लिए होता है, उसका एक समेकित दस्तावेज है। सरकार आम बजट  हर साल पेश करती है। जनतंत्र में सरकार की जो नीतियां होती हैं, जनता के प्रति उनकी जो जवाबदेही है, उसको दृष्टिगत रखते हुए सरकार नीतियां बनाती हैं। यूपीए सरकार का शायद यह अंतिम बजट है। इन्होंने चार साल तक जो नीतियां बनायीं, क्योंकि जब आप कोई नीति बनाते हैं, तो उसका परिणाम दो-तीन साल बाद दिखाई पड़ता है। जब  वर्ष 2004 में यूपीए सरकार ने सत्ता संभाली थी, उस समय जब हम वित्त मंत्री जी के भाषण को देखते हैं, तो उनमें एनडीए सरकार का जिक्र होता है।[MSOffice43]            कहा गया कि उस सरकार की नीतियों और कुरीतियों के कारण जो दुप्रभाव हुआ, उसके कारण ही ये महंगाई पर नियंत्रण नहीं कर पाए।  वर्ष 2004 से आज तक के जो बजट आते रहे, उनके परिणाम अब सामने आ रहे हैं, यह परिणाम देश में महंगाई और मुद्रास्फीति के रूप में सामने आए हैं। आज तक के इतिहास में अगर देखें तो महंगाई ने अब तक के रिकॉर्ड को पार कर दिया है और यह इनकी आज तक की नीतियों का ही परिणाम रहा है। देश में वित्तीय संकट पहले भी आते रहे, लेकिन कुछ हफ्ते या कुछ क्षणों के लिए आते रहे।  उन पर कुछ समय में ही काबू पाया जाता रहा है, लेकिन आज देश में जो मुद्रास्फीति है, उस पर काबू पाने में सरकार कामयाब नहीं रही है।  अभी माननीय सदस्य बोल रहे थे कि आपका होलसेल प्राइस इंडेक्स और कंज्यूमर प्राइस इंडेक्स कहां चले गए। यह स्थिति कुछ अल्पकाल में नहीं बनी है, यह वर्ष 2004 से बढ़ती चली आ रही है और आज यह अपने चरम सीमा पर है।  आज हमारे देश में मुद्रास्फीति का संकट है, महंगाई है, आवश्यक वस्तुओं की कीमतों में लगातार वृद्धि हो रही है और ये चीजें सरकार की नीतियों की पोल खोलने का काम कर रही हैं। अप्रैल, 2007 में होल सेल प्राइस इंडेक्स  6.3 प्रतिशत था, मार्च, 2008 में यह 6.4 प्रतिशत हो गया, इसमें कहीं कमी आने की गुंजाइश नहीं है।  हालांकि इस बीच सरकार ने महंगाई रोकने के लिए कई उपाय किए, लेकिन उनका परिणाम शून्य ही रहा। सरकार के स्तर पर महंगाई रोकने के दावे होते रहे, बराबर यह कहा जाता रहा कि हम महंगाई को रोकेंगे, महंगाई रूक  रही है, अगले एक-दो महीनों में महंगाई पर नियत्रण लगा लेंगे। अगर आप पिछले चार सालों में वित्तमंत्री जी द्वारा इस सदन में दिए गए बयानों को देखें तो हर बार इन्होंने यही कहा है कि मुद्रास्फीति पर काबू पाएंगे और महंगाई पर नियंत्रण करेंगे, लेकिन महंगाई लगातार बढ़ती चली गयी। इसका कारण यह है कि यूपीए सरकार में कोई सामंजस्य नहीं है, कंट्राडिक्शन है, विरोधाभास है। महंगाई के बारे में सरकार के स्तर से अलग-अलग बयान आए हैं, मैं उनको बताना चाहूंगा। प्रधानमंत्री जी ने कहा कि देश में विकास की कीमत पर महंगाई को नहीं रोका जा सकता है। वित्तमंत्री जी ने कहा कि महंगाई विश्व की देन है।  जब महंगाई पर इस सदन में चर्चा हो रही थी, वित्तमंत्री जी ने इंटरवीन करते हुए कहा कि विश्व की स्थिति के कारण हमारे देश में महंगाई बढ़ रही है। खाद्य मंत्री जी ने कहा कि महंगाई स्थिर हो जाएगी, खाद्यान्नों की देश में कोई कमी नहीं है। इससे भी आगे बढ़कर उन्होंने कहा कि एक सप्ताह में महंगाई पर हम नियंत्रण पा लेंगे।  यह एक सप्ताह का समय कहां चला गया? दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री जी का एक बयान हमने अखबारों में देखा कि अर्थव्यवस्था बढ़ रही है तो महंगाई का बढ़ना लाजिमी है। योजना आयोग के उपाध्यक्ष जी ने कहा कि महंगाई रोकने के लिए कड़े कदम उठाना विकास के बढ़ते कदम को रोकना है।[R44]            फिर वित्त मंत्री जी का बयान आया कि महंगाई रोकने के लिए विकास का बलिदान कर दिया जाएगा। इन सारे बयानों को देखेंगे तो पाएंगे कि ये सभी विरोधाभासी हैं, कहीं कोई सामंजस्य नहीं है। हर आदमी अपने-अपने ढंग से महंगाई की परिभाषा कह रहा है और इस देश की जनता उससे त्रस्त हो रही है। आज यूपीए सरकार की हिम्मत नहीं है कि वह देश की जनता के सामने जाकर कहे कि हमने जो पिछले चार साल में नीतियां बनाई हैं, उनके आधार पर हम आपसे वोट मांगने के लिए खड़े हैं। इसलिए इन्होंने चार साल में जो नीतियां बनाईं, वे सारी ध्वस्त हो चुकी हैं।

          विश्व की अर्थव्यवस्था और मंहगाई की चर्चा की गई। मैं उसके कुछ आंकड़े आपके सामने रखना चाहूंगा। विश्व के प्रमुख देशों में महंगाई की स्थिति जनवरी, 2008 में थी वह अमेरिका में 4.3 प्रतिशत, इंग्लैंड में 2.2 प्रतिशत, यूरोप के अन्य देशों में 3.2 प्रतिशत, जापान में 0.1 प्रतिशत कम थी, चीन में सात प्रतिशत और भारत में 5.5 प्रतिशत थी। सन् 2007 में आखिरी तिमाही के जो आंकड़े हैं, उनके अनुसार अमेरिका में 3.8 प्रतिशत, इंग्लैंड में 2.8 प्रतिशत, यूरोप के अन्य देशों में 2.8 प्रतिशत, जापान में 0.4 प्रतिशत कम थी, चीन में 6.6 प्रतिशत और भारत में 5.7 प्रतिशत थी। अब आप बताएं कि कहां विश्व के स्तर पर आप दावा करते हैं कि विश्व की अर्थव्यवस्था हमारे ऊपर प्रभाव डाल रही है। इससे पता चलता है कि हमारी और यूरोप के अन्य देशों की अर्थव्यवस्था और मंहगाई में जमीन-आसमान का अंतर है।  फूड एंड एग्रीकल्चर आर्गेनाइजेशन का कहना है और इस देश के खाद्य मंत्री जी का भी कहना है कि हमारे यहां खाद्यान्न की कमी नहीं है। वित्त मंत्री जी ने भी अपने बजट में कहा है कि कोई कमी नहीं है। सन् 2006 में विश्व के स्तर पर जो खाद्यान्न का उत्पादन हुआ, वह 4.7 प्रतिशत अधिक था। इसी तरह 2007 में 2.6 प्रतिशत अधिक था और 2008 में उससे भी अधिक होने की सम्भावना है तथा गेहू का उत्पादन 2007-2008 में 6.8 प्रतिशत था। इसलिए यह कहना कि विश्व की महंगाई भारत पर प्रभाव डाल रही है, सही नहीं है, क्योंकि विश्व में खाद्य संकट नहीं है। यह कहना भी सही नहीं है कि विश्व में गेहूं का संकट है। फिर आप कैसे कह रहे हैं कि उसका असर हमारे देश पर पड़ रहा है।

          औद्योगिक उत्पादन की बात हम करें, तो जो निर्यात हुआ वह मैं बताना चाहता हूं। असल महंगाई की जड़ सरकार की नीतियां हैं, इसमें निर्यात को इतनी छूट दे दी कि 2004-2005 में वह 30.8 प्रतिशत हुआ, 2005-2006 में 20.4 प्रतिशत के करीब रहा और 2006-2007 में वह 22.6 प्रतिशत रहा। कृषि उत्पाद का भी निर्यात हुआ, यह हम आयात की बात नहीं कर रहे हैं। सन् 200-2005 में 16.4 प्रतिशत, 2005-2006 में 14.7 प्रतिशत, 2006-2007 में 18.5 प्रतिशत निर्यात हुआ। आपने कृषि उत्पादन का इतना निर्यात किया और इसका परिणाम यह हुआ कि हमारे देश में अनाज का संकट पैदा हो गया। उसके चलते कहा जा रहा है कि देश में महंगाई हो गई। अब आपको खाद्यान्न आयात करना पड़ रहा है।

          मैं एक तथ्य सदन के सामने रखना चाहता हूं। हम किसानों से न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य पर गेहूं खरीदते हैं। पिछले वर्ष आपने 750 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल गेहूं का मूल्य तय किया और उसमें 100 रुपए और जोड़कर 850 रुपए कर दिया। लेकिन इस कीमत पर किसानों ने आपको गेहूं नहीं दिया। जो प्राइवेट खरीदार थे, उन्होंने किसानों से 900-950 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल के हिसाब से गेहूं खरीद लिया, किसानों को जहां अपने माल का ज्यादा दाम मिला, उन्होंने वहां बेच दिया। आपने निर्यात की अनुमति दी हुई थी, तो प्राइवेट लोगों ने खुलकर निर्यात भी किया। इससे गेहूं और अन्य खाद्यन्न विदेश चला गया और फरवरी 2007 में आपने गेहूं का आयात करने के लिए टेंडर निकाला। मेरे एक प्रश्न के जवाब में इसी सदन में खाद्य उपभोक्ता मंत्री जी ने कहा था कि फरवरी 2007 के उस टेंडर में 1200 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल गेहूं का दाम तय किया गया था, लेकिन आपने नहीं खरीदा। उसके बाद जुलाई में 1600 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल की दर से उसे खरीदने का काम किया। इस तरह से यह एक घोटाला हुआ। विदेशों से जो गेहूं हमारे देश में आया, उसे लेने से राज्य सरकारों ने इनकार कर दिया, क्योंकि वह जो गेहूं वहां पैदा किया जा रहा है, वह अपने देश में लाल गेहूं के नाम से जाना जाता है और उसे जानवरों को खिलाया जाता है।[R45]            उस गेहूं को आपने, इस देश में लाकर, देश की जनता पर थोपने का काम किया, जिसके कारण आज देश में खाद्यान्न संकट है। आप एनडीए की बात करते हैं, एनडीए के शासन काल में कभी इस देश में खाद्यान्न संकट नहीं हुआ। एनडीए के शासन काल में गोदामों में अनाज रखने की जगह नहीं थी और नतीजा हुआ कि जब वह खाने के लायक नहीं बचा, सरकार ने फैसला करके समुद्र में फैंकने का काम किया। आप एनडीए की बात करते हैं। आपने चार साल में जो नीतियां बनाई, उसका परिणाम यह महंगाई है।

          मैं चावल की बात आपको बताना चाहता हूं। अक्टूबर 2007 में इस सरकार ने निर्यात पर पाबंदी लगाई और   31 अक्टूबर 2007 को पाबंदी हटा ली और कहा कि हम आंशिक प्रतिबंध लगाएंगे।  26 जनवरी 2008 तक चावल का निर्यात इस देश से 51.02 लाख टन हुआ। आपने देश का सारा खाद्यान्न तो विदेशों में भेज दिया।  देश में खाद्यान्न उत्पादन नहीं हो रहा है, आप अपने को औद्योगिक उत्पादन पर केन्द्रित कर रहे हो। देश में खाद्यान्न का उत्पादन नहीं हो रहा है और जो हो रहा है उसे विदेशों में निर्यात करने का काम कर रहे हैं, जिसका परिणाम महंगाई है।

          वर्ष 2006-2007 की तुलना में वर्ष 2008 में चावल का निर्यात दुगुना हुआ। इसके अतिरिक्त मैं एक बात और बताना चाहता हूं। माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी ने अपने बजट भाषण में कहा है कि “खाद्यान्न उत्पादन हमारे यहां पर्याप्त हो रहा है”। इस देश की जनता का महंगाई के प्रति जो आक्रोश है उसको ढीला करने के लिए ऐसा कहा जा रहा है। वास्तव में मार्च 2008 में जब द्वितीय कृषि-उत्पादन के संबंध में आकलन की सरकार की तरफ से घोषणा की गयी तो कहा गया कि रबी फसल वर्ष 2008 में, वर्ष 2007 की तुलना में कम भूमि में बोयी गयी। वर्ष 2008 में रबी फसल 487.2 लाख हैक्टेयर भूमि में बोयी गयी, जबकि वर्ष 2007 में 510.37 लाख हैक्टेयर भूमि में खाद्यान्न बोया गया। जब बोया ही कम गया तो उत्पादन अधिक कहां से होगा? आप कौन से तर्कों के आधार पर देश की जनता को बरगलाने का काम कर रहे हैं। इस देश की जनता के गले आपका तर्क उतर नहीं रहा है। जब बोया ही कम गया तो आप उत्पादन कहां से बढ़ा रहे हो?

          सभापति महोदय, स्मॉल-स्केल इंडस्ट्री का सवाल आया। इस देश में आपकी पूरी अर्थव्यवस्था कृषि पर आधारित है।  80 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा लोग कृषि पर आधारित हैं। आपने वर्ष 2004 से आज तक अपनी जो नीति बनाई, वह टोटल नीति औद्योगिक उत्पादन को बढ़ाने और उसका निर्यात करने की रही है। आपने कृषि पर अपना ध्यान ही केन्द्रित नहीं किया। कृषि उत्पादन बढ़ाने का आपने काम नहीं किया। उसका परिणाम स्मॉल स्केल इंडस्ट्री है। यूपीए की सरकार जब वर्ष 2004 में सत्ता में आई थी तो 500 रिजर्व आईटम्स स्मॉल-स्केल इंडस्ट्री के लिए थे लेकिन आज केवल 35 आईटम्स बचे हुए है, बाकी को आपने बड़े उद्योपतियों के उत्पादन के लिए फ्री कर दिया। उनके माध्यम से आप निर्यात करा रहे हैं। आप कंज्युमर गुड्स में आयात करा रहे हैं, इसलिए प्राइस पर नियंत्रण करना आपके बूते की बात नहीं है। इसलिए आज की परिस्थिति में यह सरकार कितना ही प्रयास करे, महंगाई पर नियंत्रण नहीं पा सकती है। इन्हीं शब्दों से साथ मैं अपना भाषण समाप्त करता हूं। [r46]                                                                                                  16.00 hrs. श्री राम कृपाल यादव (पटना)  : माननीय सभापति महोदय, मैं आपके प्रति आभार व्यक्त करता हूं कि आपने मुझे इतने महत्वपूर्ण विषय पर हो रही चर्चा में भाग लेने का अवसर प्रदान किया है।

          महोदय, आज देश की हालत ठीक नहीं है। माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी ने पिछले दिनों बजट प्रस्तुत किया और आम लोगों के हितों की रक्षा के लिए बजट में बहुत से प्रावधान किए। बहुत सी महत्वपूर्ण योजनाओं को कार्यरूप देने की घोषणा की और बहुत सी योजनाओं के लिए, जो देश हित तथा जनहित के लिए थीं, उनके लिए बजट के माध्यम से राशि भी उपलब्ध कराई। मैं समझता हूं कि किसानों के हितों की रक्षा के लिए बहुत अच्छे कदम उठाए गए हैं। ऐसे बहुत से महत्वपूर्ण कदम उठाए गए, जिनका असर आम लोगों पर होना था। इससे आम लोगों में खुशहाली आई। अभी बजट पर चर्चा होनी थी कि एकाएक मूल्यों में वृद्धि हो गई। मुद्रास्फीति में वृद्धि हो गई। स्वाभाविक है कि जब महंगाई बढ़ेगी, तो मुद्रास्फीति भी बढ़ेगी। आम लोग महंगाई के कारण बहुत परेशानी महसूस कर रहे हैं। वर्तमान सरकार ने कई महत्वपूर्ण कदम उठाए हैं, ताकि महंगाई को रोका जा सके, मगर अभी तक कुछ साकारात्मक परिणाम प्राप्त नहीं हो सके हैं। मैं समझता हूं कि सरकार निरंतर महंगाई को रोकने का प्रयास कर रही है, लेकिन एकाएक दामों में इतनी अधिक वृद्धि होने के क्या कारण हैं? सभी चीजों के दाम बढ़ गए हैं। खाद्य पदार्थों में खाद्य तेल, सब्जी आदि अन्य चीजों के दामों में भी काफी वृद्धि हुई है। जनता इस महंगाई से बहुत परेशान है और सरकार भी महंगाई को रोकने के लिए अपने प्रयास जारी रखे हुए है। इस बारे में कई महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय लिए गए हैं, मगर उनका आशानुरूप असर नहीं हो पा रहा है, यह हमारे लिए चिंता का विषय है।

          भारतवर्ष गावों का देश है। आज भी हमारे देश की 80 प्रतिशत आबादी गांवों में रहती है। जब तक गांव में रहने वाला किसान, मजदूर खुशहाल नहीं होगा, तब तक देश की अर्थव्यवस्था खुशहाल नहीं हो पाएगी। देश की अर्थव्यवस्था को मजबूत करने के लिए निश्चित तौर पर देश के किसानों की तरफ देखना पड़ेगा। आज किसानों की उत्पादन क्षमता कम हो रही है। खेत और खलिहान में काम करने वाले लोगों का रुझान खेती की तरफ कम होता जा रहा है और यही कारण है कि इस देश की अर्थव्यवस्था पर बहुत संकट आ रहा है। जब तक देश की अर्थव्यवस्था ठीक नहीं होगी, तब तक हम खेत और खलिहान को मजबूत नहीं कर पाएंगे। खास तौर से कृषि के क्षेत्र में सरकार ने पिछले दिनों इंवेस्टमेंट किया है। उसकी तरफ हमें गौर करना पड़ेगा। [R47]      [r48]            हमें देखना होगा कि क्या हम इतना इन्वेस्टमेंट कर पाए हैं जिससे खेत-खलिहान में काम करने वाले लोग खुशहाल हो पाएं? कृषि से ही रोजगार मिलेगा और अर्थव्यवस्था मजबूत होगी। कृषि में ही हर तरह की संभावनाएं हैं लेकिन आज कृषि में निवेश कम हो रहा है, उत्पादन करने की क्षमता घट रही है और हर तरफ से किसान परेशानी की हालत से गुजर रहा है। प्रदेश के विभिन्न इलाकों में किसान आत्महत्याएं कर रहे हैं। सरकार ने जो कदम उठाया है वह स्वागतयोग्य है कि लगभग 60 हजार करोड़ रुपए ऋण माफी का निर्णय लिया है। यह बहुत अच्छी पहल है। मैं समझता हूं कि हिन्दुस्तान की आजादी के बाद यूपीए सरकार ने एकमुश्त में कदम उठा कर लोगों को फायदा पहुंचाने का काम किया है। इसके लिए मैं माननीय वित्त मंत्री, माननीय प्रधानमंत्री और यूपीए सरकार का जितना धन्यवाद ज्ञापित करूं, वह कम होगा। इसके अलावा एक और कदम उठाया गया है जिसके बारे में हम लोग हमेशा कहा करते थे और सरकार का ध्यान आकृष्ट किया करते थे। डा. स्वामीनाथन जी ने रिपोर्ट दी थी कि किसानों के कर्ज की ब्याज की दर को कम किया जाए। यह दर 12 से 13 परसेंट थी और मंत्री जी ने 7 परसेंट ब्याज की दर पर ऋण सुविधा उपलब्ध कराई है। इससे किसानों को राहत मिलेगी। डा. स्वामीनाथन जी ने चार प्रतिशत ब्याज दर की अनुशंसा की थी, सरकार को इस तरफ निगाह करनी चाहिए। आपने 60,000 करोड़ के रुपए की ऋण माफी की है, किसानों को वर्तमान स्थिति में राहत जरूर मिल गई लेकिन आगे चलकर इसका फायदा नहीं मिल पा रहा है। आज भी किसान बड़े पैमाने पर बैंको से कम और निजी लोगो से ज्यादा कर्ज लेते हैं। हमने बैंकों से कर्ज माफ करने का मुद्दा उठाया है लेकिन वे निजी स्तर पर सेठ और साहूकारों से कर्ज लेते हैं, उसकी तरफ हमने ध्यान आकृष्ट नहीं किया है। अगर बैंकों से कम ब्याज दर पर ऋण उपलब्ध हो जाए तो वे सेठ साहूकारों के पास नहीं जाएंगे। इसलिए मैं समझता हूं कि माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी को निश्चित तौर पर इस पर विचार करना चाहिए। डा. स्वामीनाथन जी ने चार परसेंट ब्याज दर पर जो ऋण उपलब्ध कराने की बात कही है, उसे निश्चित तौर पर स्वीकार करनी चाहिए।

          महोदय, मूल्य वृद्धि से पूरा देश और सदन चिंतित है। हम वायदा बाजार के कुप्रभाव के कारण मूल्यवृद्धि पर रोक नहीं लगा पा रहे हैं। खास तौर से वायदा बाजार में खाद्य पदार्थों को निकालने की बात कही जा रही है, शायद अभी तक हम उस पर ध्यान नहीं दे पाए हैं। मैं समझता हूं कि वादा बाजार से दाल, खाने का तेल, चीनी और मोटा अनाज सहित आवश्यक वस्तुओं को निकाल दें तो हम निश्चित तौर पर मूल्यवृद्धि  की स्थिति पर नियंत्रण कर पाएंगे। वायदा बाजार के जरिए आवश्यक वस्तुओं को खरीदकर होर्डर्स जमा कर लेते हैं और कृत्रिम अभाव पैदा कर देते हैं। अनाज उपलब्ध हो रहा है, ऐसी बात नहीं है कि देश में अनाज की उपलब्धता नहीं है लेकिन फॉरवर्ड मार्किट के माध्यम से इसका लाभ जमाखोर उठा रहे हैं, और कृत्रिम अभाव पैदा करके सारा अनाज अपने गोदामों में भर लेते हैं। इसके कारण महंगाई बड़े पैमाने पर बढ़ती जा रही है। मैं समझता हूं कि महंगाई बढ़ने का एक कारण यह भी है। इसलिए सरकार को इस पर भी ध्यान देना चाहिए और खास तौर पर मूल्य वृद्धि रोकने के लिए केन्द्र सरकार को राज्य सरकारों के सहयोग से कारगर कदम उठाने चाहिए। चूंकि आज जमाखोर व्यापारियों पर लगाम कसने की आवश्यकता है। हालांकि आप इसके लिए प्रयास कर रहे हैं, मगर राज्य सरकारें आपको सहयोग नहीं दे रही है। कुछ राज्यों में निश्चित तौर पर जमाखोरों के खिलाफ आवश्यक कदम उठाये गये हैं। मगर देश के सभी प्रदेशों में कारगर कदम नहीं उठाये जा रहे हैं, जिसकी वजह से आपको सहयोग नहीं मिल पा रहा है और जमाखोर चीजों का कृत्रिम अभाव पैदा करके अपने व्यापार को बढ़ा रहे हैं और वे आम लोगों को एक तरह से मारने का काम कर रहे हैं। इसलिए मैं समझता हूं कि इसके लिए केन्द्र सरकार को यदि कानून में तब्दीली करने की जरूरत भी पड़े तो सरकार को करना चाहिए, ताकि इन चीजों पर केन्द्र सरकार का सीधे तौर पर नियंत्रण हो जाए। यदि ऐसी कोई व्यवस्था करनी पड़े तो निश्चित तौर पर कोई कानून बनाकर जमाखोरों के खिलाफ देश के सारे प्रदेशों में बड़े पैमाने पर अभियान चलाना चाहिए, ताकि जमाखोर जो चीजों का कृत्रिम अभाव पैदा कर रहे हैं, उनसे छुटकारा मिल सके और सरकार की जो नीयत है और सोच है, उसे मजबूती मिल सके।

          सभापति महोदय, मैं आपके माध्यम से माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी का ध्यान आकृष्ट करना चाहूंगा कि जो खाद्य तेल, जैसे पाम ऑयल आदि हैं, आज उनका साठ प्रतिशत उत्पादन हम अपने देश में करते हैं, लेकिन चालीस प्रतिशत हम दूसरे देशों से आयात करते हैं। अभी कीमतें कम करने के लिए माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी ने कुछ कदम भी उठाया है। हमारे देश में जो चालीस प्रतिशत खाद्य तेल का आयात हो रहा है, उसे आपने टैक्स फ्री कर दिया है। हम चालीस प्रतिशत ऑयल इंडोनेशिया और मलेशिया से आयात करते हैं। इंडोनेशिया से चालीस परसैन्ट का लगभग 90 प्रतिशत हम आयात करते हैं और लगभग दस परसैन्ट मलेशिया से आयात होता है। पिछले दिनों जब आपने इसे टैक्स से एग्जैम्प्ट किया तो उन्होंने अपने यहां इसके दाम बढ़ा दिये। उनके द्वारा दाम बढ़ाने के बाद आपकी मजबूरी है कि जो आप फायदा उठाना चाहते थे, वह फायदा विदेश की कंपनियां उठा रही हैं, जहां से आप तेल का आयात कर रहे हैं। मैं समझता हूं कि इस कारण भी हम अपनी पालिसी का इम्पैक्ट नहीं देख पा रहे हैं, जिससे कि लोगों का उसका लाभ मिल सके। आपने इस वर्ष 30 मार्च, 2008 को जो डय़ूटी जीरो की है, उससे विदेश में आयल का भाव बढ़ गया और इस कारण लगभग सात हजार करोड़ रुपये का लाभ इंडोनेशिया की कंपनियों को हुआ। यदि इस सात हजार करोड़ रुपये का इस्तेमाल हम अपने देश के संसाधनों पर करते, जहां हम केवल साठ प्रतिशत खाद्य तेल का उत्पादन करते हैं, यदि इस पैसे को वहां इनवैस्ट करके उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ाने की बात करते तो किसानों को भी लाभ मिलता और  हम आत्मनिर्भरता की ओर भी बढ़ते।

          महोदय, मैं आपका ध्यान एक बात की तरफ और दिलाना चाहता हूं। आज हम उत्पादन बढ़ाने पर ध्यान नहीं दे रहे हैं। देश में जो किसान हैं, वे गांवों की तरफ कम ध्यान दे रहे हैं, शहरों की तरफ विशेष ध्यान दे रहे हैं और उनकी जो उत्पादन बढ़ाने की क्षमता है, जो कुव्वत है, उस क्षमता के अनुरूप हम उसका लाभ नहीं उठा पा रहे हैं[b49] ।

          हमें इस बारे में सोचना पड़ेगा कि किसानों का उत्साहवर्धन कैसे हो, उनकी उत्पादन क्षमता कैसे बढ़े, इस दिशा में हमें निश्चित तौर पर प्रयास करना पड़ेगा और कार्यवाही करनी पड़ेगी। अगर हम धीरे-धीरे उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ाने में कमी करते गए तो आगे आने वाले वर्षों में हम भुखमरी की तरफ चले जाएंगे, हमारी अर्थव्यवस्था और खराब हो जाएगी। माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी, मैं समझता हूं कि आप ऐसी कोई पालिसी बनाएं, ऐसा कोई स्टेप लें ताकि किसानों की उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ सके। इसके लिए आप उन्हें सुविधा उपलब्ध करवाएं। उनकी सिंचाई की क्षमता बढ़े, उसके लिए व्यवस्था कराने का काम कीजिए। उनके लिए खाद और बीज सही मूल्य पर मिले, उसके लिए व्यवस्था करें। आज उनका जो उत्पादन होता है, उसका उन्हें उचित मूल्य नहीं मिल पा रहा है।

          महोदय, मैं आपके माध्यम से उदाहरण के तौर पर बताना चाहता हूं कि पिछले दिनों गेहूं का एक हजार रुपए सपोर्ट प्राइस बढ़ाया गया है, मगर उन्हें उसका लाभ नहीं मिल पा रहा है। हम अपने प्रदेश बिहार की तरफ आपका ध्यान आकृष्ट करना चाहेंगे। वहां आज भी 940-950 रुपए में उधार में किसान बेच रहे हैं। हम लगभग 1450 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल विदेशों से आयात करके गेहूं लाने का काम कर रहे हैं। हमारे प्रदेश में कहा जाता है कि किसानों को पर्याप्त मात्रा में लाभ मिल रहा है। हम एक हजार रुपए प्रति क्विंटल सपोर्ट प्राइस की दर उन्हें देने का काम कर रहे हैं, लेकिन उसका लाभ उन्हें नहीं मिल रहा है। आज मुझे लगता है कि गेहूं की खरीद में भी भेदभाव किया जा रहा है। मैं यह नहीं कहता कि पंजाब, हरियाणा और दूसरे प्रदेशों से गेहूं न खरीदा जाए, मैं आपको बताता हूं कि पिछले साल 41 लाख टन पंजाब से गेहूं खरीदा गया है और 40 लाख टन गेहूं हरियाणा से खरीदा गया है। मैं बिहार की तरफ आपका ध्यान आकृष्ट कराना चाहता हूं। बिहार एक पिछड़ा प्रदेश है। जब आपने एक हजार रुपए प्रति क्विंटल के हिसाब से उन्हें सपोर्ट प्राइस देने की बात कही तो उनका उत्साह बढ़ा। वित्त मंत्री जी, आपको जानकर खुशी होगी कि आज बिहार में किसानों में एक ललक पैदा हुई है। वहां किसानों ने पूरी क्षमता के साथ सिंचाई और सारी चीजों की व्यवस्था करके व्यापक पैमाने पर गेहूं का उत्पादन करने का काम किया है। मगर वे गेहूं का उत्पादन करके क्या करेंगे, क्योंकि आप जो सपोर्ट प्राइस दे रहे हैं, वह तो उन्हें मिल नहीं रहा है। वे जो गेहूं बेचते हैं, उसका पैसा उन्हें तीन-तीन, चार-चार दिन के बाद मिल रहा है। व्यापारी उनका एक्सप्लायटेशन कर रहे हैं। आपने बिहार में मात्र आठ हजार टन ही गेहूं खरीदने का काम किया। वहां क्यों नहीं आपकी कोई एजेंसी काम कर रही है, जब कि यह तय हुआ था कि भारत सरकार 240 क्रय सेंटर एफसीआई के माध्यम से खोल कर गेहूं की खरीद करेगी। इसके अलावा लगभग दो हजार सेंटर वहां राज्य सरकार खोल कर किसानों के गेहूं या धान को खरीदने का काम करेगी। मगर वहां कुछ नहीं हुआ। वहां क्रय सेंटर खुल ही नहीं पाए। केन्द्र सरकार और राज्य सरकार, दोनों ही क्रय सेंटर नहीं खोल पाए। इसलिए किसान मजबूरी में अपना गेहूं ओने-पौने दाम में बेचने का काम कर रहे हैं। यह उनके साथ बहुत अन्याय हो रहा है। जहां हम विदेशों से गेहूं मंगा कर, अपने यहां 1450 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल देने का काम कर रहे हैं, जब कि हमारे यहां पर्याप्त मात्रा में उत्पादन हो रहा है, आप उसे उचिच मूल्य देने का काम क्यों नहीं कर रहे हैं? मैं समझता हूं कि निश्चित तौर पर इस पर गौर करना चाहिए और जहां भेदभाव उत्पन्न हो रहे हैं, उन्हें दूर करना चाहिए। बिहार जैसे प्रदेश में किसानों ने अपना खून-पसीना बहा कर, उत्पादन करके, देश के लोगों को अन्न खिलाने का काम किया है। मैं उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ाने की बात कर रहा हूं और समझता हूं कि बिहार ही एक ऐसा प्रदेश है, जहां अगर ठीक से सुविधाएं उपलब्ध कराई जाएं तो वहां पर्याप्त मात्रा में उत्पादन हो सकता है।

          महोदय, उत्तर-बिहार में बड़े पैमाने पर बाढ़ आती है और हमेशा हम उसकी चर्चा करते रहे हैं। वहां लोगों में उत्पादन करने की बहुत क्षमता है। वहां मेहनत करने वाले लोग हैं, इसलिए वहां पर्याप्त मात्रा में उत्पादन हो सकता है लेकिन वहां बाढ़ की वजह से हर साल लाखों रुपए की क्षति होती है।[s50]             [r51] सभापति महोदय, किसानों के जान-माल का नुकसान होता है, लेकिन आज तक वहां कोई उचित कदम नहीं उठाया गया। हम समझते हैं कि इसी तरह से देश के कई ऐसे भाग हैं, जहां यदि किसानों को उचित सुविधा मिले, तो वे अपनी उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ाकर आत्मनिर्भर हो सकते हैं और इस प्रकार हम अन्न के मामले में विदेशों के ऊपर निर्भर नहीं रहेंगे और महंगाई की मार से भी बच पाएंगे।

          महोदय, स्पेशल इकनौमिक जोन का अभियान चल रहा है और इसकी बात की जा रही है। इसके माध्यम से खेत और खलिहान में काम करने वाले लोगों के पेट पर लात मारी जा रही है। आप इंडस्ट्रीज लगाइए, उसमें किसी को आपत्ति नहीं होगी। उनसे रोजगार भी बढ़ेंगे और देश की अर्थव्यवस्था भी मजबूत होगी। स्पेशल इकनौमिक जोन के माध्यम से जो खेती योग्य जमीन है, उसे बड़े पैमाने पर लेकर किसानों के पेट पर लात मारने का काम आप कर रहे हैं। मैं चाहूंगा कि जब मंत्री जी, इस बहस का उत्तर दें, तो इस बात का जवाब जरूर दें कि आज तक स्पेशल इकनौमिक जोन के माध्यम से आपने किसानों की कितनी खेती योग्य जमीन को लेने का काम किया है और कितने किसानों के पेट पर लात मारने का काम किया है?

          महोदय, हमारी आबादी बढ़ रही है। आबादी रुक नहीं रही है, वह बराबर बढ़ती जा रही है, लेकिन जमीन वही है। उसी जमीन के अन्तर्गत हमें उत्पादन करना है और अपनी रोजी कमानी है। हम सभी जानते हैं कि देश की लगभग 80 प्रतिशत आबादी खेत और खलिहान पर निर्भर करती है। अगर हम कोई इस तरह की योजना बनाएं और किसानों की खेती योग्य जमीनों को धीरे-धीरे लेते जाने का काम करेंगे, तो हमारी परेशानी बढ़ेगी।

          महोदय, यदि आप देश में इंडस्ट्रीज लगाना चाहते हैं और औद्योगिक उत्पादन बढ़ाना चाहते हैं, तो देश की जो बंजर भूमि है, उसे लेकर उसके ऊपर उद्योग लगाइए। आप बंजर जमीन को औद्योगिक रूप से क्यों विकसित नही करते हैं? हमारे यहां तो स्कीम भी है कि बंजर भूमि को बड़े पैमाने पर खेती योग्य बनाया जाएगा। हम माननीय मंत्री जी से जानना चाहते हैं कि अभी तक इस स्कीम के अन्तर्गत कितनी बंजर भूमि को खेती योग्य बनाया गया है? अगर हम बंजर भूमि को खेती योग्य बनाने का काम नहीं करेंगे और किसानों की खेती योग्य जमीन को उद्योगों के लिए लेने का काम करेंगे, तो निश्चित रूप से हम किसानों के पेट पर लात मारने का काम करेंगे। किसान का परिवार बढ़ गया, घर बढ़ गया, हमारी आबादी बढ़ गई, लेकिन जमीन तो हमारे पास उतनी ही। और उसे भी हम बढ़ाने के बजाय उद्योगों हेतु लेने का काम करेंगे, तो देश के लिए अन्न कहां से आएगा?

          महोदय, हम पिछले अनेक वर्षों से देख रहे हैं कि हमारी सिंचाई क्षमता नहीं बढ़ी है। हम तो अपने प्रदेश की तरफ माननीय मंत्री जी का ध्यान आकृष्ट करना चाहेंगे कि बिहार की सिंचाई क्षमता को बढ़ाने हेतु कोई विशेष कार्यक्रम चलाया जाए। ...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदय  : अब, आप कनक्लूड कीजिए।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव : हमारे यहां जितनी भी नहरें हैं उनकी हालत बहुत खराब है। नहरों के निर्माण हेतु जितना पैसा मिलना चाहिए, वह नहीं मिल पाता है। ...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदय : अब आप समाप्त कीजिए।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव : हमारे यहां अगर पानी की व्यवस्था ठीक प्रकार से की जाए, तो मैं समझता हूं कि हमारे बिहार प्रान्त में बहुत अन्नोत्पादन हो सकता है। इससे किसानों के खेतों में हरियाली आएगी, किसानों में खुशहाली आएगी और बिहार उन्नति करेगा। बिहार के बारे में तो पहले से ही लोग प्लान करते रहे हैं कि वहां रोजगार के अवसर बहुत ज्यादा उपलब्ध नहीं हैं, जिसके कारण वहां के लोग अपने जीविकोपार्जन हेतु बिहार से बाहर जाते हैं और अब तो हमारे लोग बिहार से बाहर जाकर मार भी खा रहे हैं और गालियां सुनने का काम भी कर रहे हैं। मैं माननीय मंत्री जी से निवेदन करना चाहता हूं कि उनका ध्यान बिहार जैसे प्रदेश की ओर निश्चित रूप से जाना चाहिए।...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदय : अब कृपया आप समाप्त कीजिए।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव  : महोदय, आप मुझ से बार-बार कह रहे हैं कि मैं अपना भाषण समाप्त करूं। मैं अपनी पार्टी की ओर से पहला ऐसा मैम्बर हूं, जो बोल रहा हूं। अन्य किसी पर रोक नहीं लगाई गई और आप मुझे बोलने से रोक रहे हैं। ...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदय : आप कनक्लूड कीजिए।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव  : महोदय, हम समाप्त कर रहे हैं।

सभापति महोदय : आज छः बजे तक यही डिसकशन चलना है।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव  : महोदय, हम कनक्लूड कर रहे हैं। कल भी तो यह डिसकशन चलेगा।

सभापति महोदय : आप कनक्लूड कीजिए।

श्री राम कृपाल यादव  : महोदय, मैं समझता हूं कि सरकार और माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी का ध्यान ऐसे प्रदेशों की तरफ जाना चाहिए जहां की स्थिति आपकी सहायता से अच्छी हो सकती है, खेती योग्य जमीन बढ़ सकती है, उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ सकती है, किसान खुशहाल हो सकते हैं और बेरोजगारी दूर हो सकती है। मैं समझता हूं कि इन चीजों पर निश्चित रूप से सरकार को बड़ा कदम उठाना चाहिए। यदि ऐसा होगा, तो बिहार जैसा प्रदेश अपनी मेहनत से, अपनी जमीन से इतना अन्न उत्पादन कर सकता है जो न सिर्फ अपने प्रदेश के लोगों को इंडिपेंडेंटली खिला सकता है, बल्कि देश के दूसरे भागों की अन्न समस्या को सुलझाने में अपना महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दे सकता है। मगर, उसके लिए केन्द्र सरकार, बिहार को विशेष पैकेज दे, तभी बिहार जैसे प्रदेश के लोगों की आर्थिक स्थिति सुदृढ़ हो सकती है। [r52]                    माननीय सभापति महोदय, मैं आपके माध्यम से माननीय मंत्री जी को साफ तौर पर यह कहना चाहूंगा कि जब तक इस देश का किसान खुशहाल नहीं होगा, देश में खुशहाली नहीं होगी। इस देश की जो 70-80 प्रतिशत आबादी है, उसमें जब तक उत्साह नहीं होगा, तब तक मैं समझता हूं कि देश का उत्साह नहीं बढ़ सकता है।

          देश में धीरे-धीरे खाई बहुत बढ़ गई है। अमीरी और गरीबी के बीच खाई बहुत अधिक बढ़ गई है। हम यह मानते हैं कि हमारा देश विकसित हुआ है, हम यह मानते हैं कि हमारा देश आगे बढ़ा है, हम यह भी मानते हैं कि देश में अमीरी भी बढ़ी है, मगर अमीरी वैसे लोगों के बीच में बढ़ी है, जो पहले से ही अमीर थे। जो गरीब हैं, वे और गरीब हो रहे हैं। जो अमीर हैं, वे और अमीर हो रहे हैं। जब तक पालिसी ऐसी नहीं आयेगी, नीति जब तक ऐसी नहीं आयेगी कि गरीबी और अमीरी की खाई को हम पाट सकें, तब तक निश्चित रूप से स्थिति नहीं बदलेगी। परेशानी आज किस वजह से है? हमारे देश में आज जो नक्सलाइट मूवमेंट बढ़ रहा है और पूरे देश में धीरे-धीरे नक्सलपंथ अपनी जगह बनाने का काम कर रहा है, उसका एकमात्र कारण है कि असंतुष्टि है। उसका एकमात्र कारण है कि आक्रोश है। इस असंतुष्टि और आक्रोश को मिटाने के लिए, खत्म करने के लिए सरकार को पालिसी बनानी पड़ेगी और गरीब तबके के लोगों को रोजगार का अवसर देना पड़ेगा, उनकी क्रय शक्ति को बढ़ाना पड़ेगा। देश के जो 70-80 प्रतिशत लोग हैं, जब तक उनकी, आम लोगों की क्रय-शक्ति नहीं बढ़ेगी, तब तक मैं समझता हूं कि देश की क्रय-शक्ति नहीं बढ़ेगी और देश खुशहाल नहीं हो सकता है।

          महोदय, मैं अपनी बात खत्म करूंगा। माननीय ललन जी चले गये, वे बहुत सारा भाषण कर रहे थे, लेकिन अपना चेहरा खुद नहीं देख रहे थे कि उनकी सरकार ने उस समय क्या किया था, यह एन.डी.ए. के शासन में था, जब 2003 में वायदा बाजार जैसी पालिसी को चालू करने का काम किया गया। इसी की वजह से तो आज सारी परेशानी बढ़ी है। मैं समझता हूं कि एन.डी.ए. के शासन में ही फूडग्रेन को वायदा बाजार में लाया गया। जिसके कारण तमाम प्रोब्लम्स आज आपके सामने आ रही हैं। व्यापारियों को इसकी इजाजत दी गई कि अनलिमिटेड स्टाक कर लो, यह इन्हीं की रिजीम में हुआ था। आज उसकी परेशानी हम लोग भोगने का काम कर रहे हैं। जमाखोरों को खुले आम छूट दी गई कि जितनी आप जमाखोरी कर सकते हैं, करिये। उस समय लूट की छूट दी गई और देश के तमाम लोगों की परेशानी उसी समय से प्रारम्भ हुई, जिस परेशानी को आज हम भोग रहे हैं। इसलिए मैं माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी से कहना चाहता हूं कि एन.डी.ए. के शासन का जो कानून है, जो पालिसी है, उसको तब्दील कीजिए, बदलिये और वायदा बाजार में जो खाद्य सामग्री है, उसको निकालिये, जमाखोरों पर कार्रवाई कीजिए और देश की उत्पादन क्षमता बढ़ाने के लिए किसानों का उत्साहवर्धन करने का काम कीजिए। जब तक किसानों का उत्साहवर्धन नहीं होगा, देश की उत्पादन क्षमता नहीं बढ़ेगी, तब तक मैं समझता हूं कि आप देश को खुशहाली की तरफ नहीं ले जा सकते हैं। आप निश्चित तौर पर एक ऐसा ठोस उपाय निकालिये कि गरीब और अमीर के बीच की जो खाई धीरे-धीरे बढ़ती जा रही है, अभी 10 से 15 परसेंट लोगों में अमीरी बढ़ी है, लेकिन 85 परसेंट लोग आज भी गरीबी की स्थिति में ही हैं। जहां हम भारत निर्माण का सपना देख रहे हैं तो भारत गांवों में बसता है। आप इंडिया शाइनिंग के चक्कर में मत आइये, ये लोग इंडिया शाइनिंग में चले गये, इसलिए भारत का अगर निर्माण करना है तो गांव का निर्माण करना पड़ेगा, गरीबों को आगे बढ़ाना पड़ेगा। जो आम लोग हैं, उनके लिए नीति और पालिसी बनानी पड़ेगा और उनकी तरफ देखना, झांकना पड़ेगा, तभी देश की अर्थव्यवस्था ठीक होगी और हमारा देश खुशहाल हो सकता है।

          इन्हीं चन्द शब्दों के साथ मैं इस विधेयक का समर्थन करते हुए अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं।

                                                                                                         

श्री रेवती रमन सिंह (इलाहाबाद): सभापति महोदय, फाइनेंस बिल पर आज चर्चा हो रही है। मैं भारत के वित्त मंत्री चिदम्बरम साहब को तीन बातों के लिए बधाई देता हूं। एक तो सम्भवतः पूरे देश में 6 बार इन्होंने बजट प्रस्तुत किया है-चार बार यू.पी.ए. की सरकार में और दो बार दूसरी यूनाइटिड फ्रण्ट की सरकार में। जहां तक हमको याद है, सम्भवतः 6 बार किसी भी वित्त मंत्री ने बजट प्रस्तुत नहीं किया। दूसरी इस बात के लिए कि हमारे तमाम उधर के साथी चले गये, मुझे याद है कि इनके समय में जी.डी.पी. रेट 4.6 प्रतिशत था, जिसे बढ़ाकर वित्त मंत्री चिदम्बरम साहब ने 9.4 परसेंट कर दिया।  उसे लगातार चार सालों से इन्होंने कायम भी रखा है। इनके समय में यह आठ प्रतिशत से नौ प्रतिशत तक रहा है और इस साल भी 8.7 प्रतिशत का प्रोजेक्शन है। इसके लिए ये बधाई के पात्र हैं।

          तीसरे, ये बधाई के पात्र हैं कि इतने सालों में इनके द्वारा टैक्सेज कलेक्शन नंबर वन पर हुआ, उतना पहले कभी नहीं हुआ। हमारा फारेन रिजर्व भी भले ही आज रेमिटेंस के कारण है, लेकिन आज इतना ज्यादा है, जितना पहले कभी नहीं था। 

          मान्यवर, जो चिंता का विषय है, वह है इन्फ्लेशन, जो आज 7.33 प्रतिशत है। जहां ग्रोथ रेट के लिए हमें इनको बधाई देनी है, वहां यह चिंता का विषय भी है कि इन्फ्लेशन बढ़ रहा है।  यह ठीक है कि इसके लिए एक्सटर्नल कारण हैं। पेट्रोलियम के दाम पहले से साढ़े तीन गुना ज्यादा बढ़ गए हैं।  पॉम आयल जिसे हम मलेशिया और इंडोनेशिया से मंगाते हैं, उसके दाम भी बहुत बढ़ गए हैं। एक बात देखनी होगी कि साठ साल की आजादी के बाद भी भारत कृषि प्रधान देश है, लेकिन आज भी हम मानसून पर निर्भर करते हैं। इसका कारण है कि जो हमें कृषि में निवेश करना था, वह निवेश नहीं किया। आज भी हम जो कर रहे हैं, वह पर्याप्त नहीं है।  वह इसलिए पर्याप्त नहीं है क्योंकि बजट में जो प्रावधान वित्तमंत्री जी ने किया है कि इस वर्ष 2008-09 पाँच लाख हैक्टेअर जमीन को हम सिंचित करेंगे, मान्यवर, यह अपर्याप्त है, क्योंकि कृषि की आज ग्रोथ रेट 2.6 प्रतिशत है।  हम जब तक इसे बढ़ाकर चार प्रतिशत नहीं करेंगे, तब तक हम अपनी जीडीपी को भी बरकरार नहीं रख पायेंगे, यह मेरा मानना है और उस रतह भारत का भी हम भला नहीं कर सकते। 

          मान्यवर, अभी आरजेडी के सदस्य बोल रहे थे, वह चले गए।  वह कह रहे थे कि दुनिया में कहीं भी फूड क्राइसिस नहीं है। मान्यवर, फूड राइट्स हो रहे हैं। इजिप्ट सहित कई देशों में राइट्स हो रहे हैं।  हमारे देश में फूड राइट नहीं हो रहा है। अगर आप देखें कि जो हमारे यहां गेहूं का उत्पादन है, पिछले साल 75.81 मिलियन टन था, जो इस साल 76.78 मिलियन टन है। इसमें बहुत मार्जिनल इनक्रीज हुआ है। इसी प्रकार से अगर राइस को देखें तो उसका उत्पादन पिछले साल 93.35 मिलियन टन था, जबकि इस साल 95.68 मिलियन टन है।  इसी प्रकार से अन्य अनाजों के उत्पादन में भी बढ़ोत्तरी हुयी है, लेकिन जो बढ़ोत्तरी होनी चाहिए थी, वह नहीं हुयी। 

          महोदय, मैं वित्त मंत्री जी से आग्रह करूंगा कि पिछले साल आपने जो गेहूं का रेट दिया, उस रेट पर किसानों ने गेहूं नहीं बेचा। इस साल भी आपने एक हजार रूपए इसके लिए दिए हैं।  बाजार में कहीं-कहीं किसान औने-पौने दामों पर गेहूं बेच रहा है, लेकिन अधिकांश किसान, चाहे पंजाब का हो, या हरियाणा का या पश्चिमी उत्तर प्रदेश का, इन तीन प्रमुख जगहों पर गेहूं का उत्पादन होता है, वहां के किसान एक हजार रूपए में गेहूं नहीं बेचने वाले हैं। वे प्राइवेट लोगों को गेहूं बेचेंगे।  गेहूं का वर्ल्ड प्राइज सतहत्तर फीसदी बढ़ गया है।  आस्ट्रेलिया में सूखा पड़ा हुआ है। अमेरिका में केवल आपको गेहूं मिलने वाला है।  अमेरिका को मालूम है कि भारत को अपनी जरूरत के लिए गेहूं इंपोर्ट करना पड़ेगा, इसलिए वर्ल्ड प्राइज अपने आप अभी बढ़ गया है। मैं आपसे मांग करूंगा कि एक हजार रूपए तो आपने मिनिमम सपोर्ट प्राइज एनाउंस किया है, अगर आप बोनस भी एक सौ रूपए से लेकर दो सौ रूपए तक एनाउंस कर दें, तो पर्याप्त गेहूं आपको भारत में उपलब्ध हो जाएगा, तब आपको विदेश से और अमेरिका से कम आयात करना पड़ेगा।  उसके लिए आपका फारेन एक्सचेंज भी कम खर्च होगा।   [p53]                   आपको एक बात सोचनी है कि जब तक आप कृषक को स्वावलम्बी नहीं बनाएंगे तब तक भारत मजबूत भी नहीं होगा और विदेशों से मंगावाकर जो कृषि भंडार भरने का काम कर रहे हैं, वह भी पूरा नहीं हो पाएगा।

          मैं आपकी आज्ञा से कुछ बातें और रखना चाहूंगा। दुनिया में दो देशों के बीच अर्थव्यवस्था में होड़ में हैं - चीन और भारत। हम देखें कि इफ्रास्ट्रक्चर में चीन का क्या इन्वैस्टमैंट है और हमारा क्या इन्वैस्टमैंट है। चीन ने हमारे बार्डर तक 24 घंटे ऑल वैदर रोड बना दी है। उनकी सेनाएं हमारे बार्डर तक एक घंटे के अंदर पहुंच जाती हैं और जो हमारी बार्डर की सड़कें हैं, वहां हम अपनी सेना को भेजने में कम से कम 3-4 दिन लगाते हैं। यह इफ्रास्ट्रक्चर का एक नमूना है। रेलवे में रेल मंत्री जी ने बहुत बड़ा काम किया है, लेकिन उसके बावजूद भी यदि आप रेल की स्पीड देखें तो 45 किलोमीटर, 60 किलोमीटर और 80 किलोमीटर से ज्यादा एवरेज नहीं है। रेल लाइन बदलने की जरूरत है और वह इफ्रास्ट्रक्चर उनके पास नहीं है। उसके लिए आपको एक्सट्रा पैसे देने पड़ेंगे, आपको जनरल बजट से पैसे देने पड़ेंगे। आप इसे कब करेंगे? 21वीं सदी आ गई है। कोरिया, वियतनाम, चीन कर रहा है, थाइलैंड भी करने वाला है, लेकिन हम कहां हैं।

          मैं यह भी कहना चाहता हूं कि इसके अलावा हमें स्वास्थ्य और शिक्षा पर जो खर्च करना चाहिए, हम उसका भी बजट में प्रावधान नहीं कर रहे हैं। आपने कहा कि इलैवन्थ फाइव ईयर प्लान के खत्म होते-होते हम शिक्षा में जीडीपी का 4 प्रतिशत खर्च करेंगे। अगर आप शिक्षा को देखें, आप गांव से आते हैं, मुझे मालूम है कि यहां के ज्यादातर माननीय सदस्य गांवों से संबंध रखते हैं। गांव में डाक्टर क्यों रहने जाएंगे? वहां कोई सैंट्रल स्कूल नहीं है, माडर्न स्कूल नहीं है, लड़कियों की शिक्षा के लिए कोई व्यवस्था नहीं है, इसलिए डाक्टर गांव में नहीं जाते। आप रूरल हैल्थ मिशन में बजट देते जा रहे हैं, लेकिन डाक्टर नदारद हैं। वहां पैरा-मेडिकल फोर्स नहीं है। गांवों में जो लोग रह रहे हैं, यदि उन्हें कोई गंभीर बीमारी हो जाए तो उसके लिए बजट में प्रावधान नहीं है। हम प्रधान मंत्री जी को लिखते हैं कि कैंसर में मदद कर दीजिए, हार्ट सर्जरी में मदद कर दीजिए, किडनी रिप्लेसमैंट में मदद कर दीजिए, लेकिन बजट में ऐसा कोई प्रावधान नहीं है कि उनके इलाज की कोई व्यवस्था हो सके। यदि गरीब आदमी को ऐसी गंभीर बीमारियां हो जाएं तो या तो वह ऊपर चला जाएगा या तड़प-तड़पकर मर जाएगा। आप वेल्फेयर स्टेट हैं। वेल्फेयर स्टेट में आप साठ साल के बाद भी इसकी व्यवस्था नहीं कर पा रहे हैं, यह बहुत शर्मनाक बात है।

 

  16.39 hrs. (  Shrimati Krishna Tirath in the Chair)           आपने ओल्ड एज पैंशन की उम्र 65 साल की है। वित्त मंत्री जी, बहुत से राज्यों में लोगों की आयु सीमा 65 साल है ही नहीं, लगभग 60 साल और 62 साल है। क्या जब वे ऊपर चले जाएंगे, तब उन्हें पैंशन मिलेगी? मेरा आग्रह है कि उनकी आयु सीमा घटाकर 60 साल कर दी जाए जिससे सबको उसका बेनीफिट मिल सके।

                                                                                     

SHRI VIJAYENDRA PAL SINGH (BHILWARA): Madam Chairman, I stand to speak on the Finance Bill 2008-09. The Finance Bill is the third stage of the Budget presentation.  The Government presents the Budget normally at the end of February.  The Finance Bill, technically speaking, is focussed on the tax proposals, direct, indirect and other taxes.[MSOffice54]  We start with the General Budget which is the first stage.  The second stage is the Demands for Grants and we are today discussing the Finance Bill which is the final stage of the Budget.

          Sir, the day the hon. Minister of Finance put forth the Budget to the Parliament, the whole country was listening to you, and with what you had to say, you became one of the most popular man that day. There were reports that you made everybody happy – the kisans, people thought, were happy, the senior citizen were happy, and the women also thought that they have been given something by the hon. Minister of Finance.  There were reports in every clipping and in the newspapers saying, `everybody loves Chidambaram’.  Today, the position is not the same. … (Interruptions)

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Any doubt! SHRI VIJAYENDRA PAL SINGH : Whatever you had given to the Aam Admi and now the same Aam admi is very disappointed with you.  He blames you that whatever was given has been taken away by the price rise and the inflation.  Now, you can blame any and everybody.  You can blame the world phenomena, the global price rise, the price rise of the oil and what not. 

          Madam, talking to the Finance Minister, I must say that there are ways and means like many other countries are having.  They have been able to insulate themselves from this price rise. If there were ways and means of doing it, you were the Finance Minister when we had the Asian giants melt down also. It could be in a different context.  But that is the time that India was insulated and we felt that we are insulated and we did not have the same problem like the Asian giants.  Here, we are in a different position. 

          Madam, somebody very rightly talked about the monsoon also.   We have had a good monsoon also. If we did not have three-four years of consecutive good monsoons, I think the position would have been even worse.   That has to be thought about and I think you must talk about it today.  Do not blame; it is easy to blame other people. One does not blame oneself. If you can do something, please do it.  The country is looking towards you and to the UPA Government.

          Madam, now, I would like to come to the tax proposals. I would like to talk firstly about the service tax.   It is the biggest collection today.  You have very rightly put forth that the collection of the service tax has really gone up.  There are 92 services or more which are being covered in the service tax.  But there is some sort of confusion.  You must clarify that.  There are anomalies.  The business auxiliary services what are they, what do they all cover and what it does not cover?  Then, the biggest problem today is that there was a time we thought that people are getting more honest and the black money is really being contained.  The service tax has again started the race in the black money and this has to be looked into because there is double taxation in the rentals which are coming and people are not liking it.[a55]     You pay a tax. The Service Tax, which is twelve-and-a-half per cent, again comes in the Income-tax. You pay it there again. So, these are the anomalies. These are the things that you must look into. Otherwise, the race in the black money will again start and we will have problems in that.

          You have always talked about simplifying the Income-Tax and Service-Tax Forms. But they are not Saral any more. We tried to make a Saral Form. The NDA Government tried to do it. You said that you are going to make Saral even more simplified. That Saral has become more and more confusing. Today, there are 8 Forms with 20 pages of it.… (Interruptions) In the IT returns, there are 8 forms with 20 pages. Now you say that the Annexures are not required to be put with that. It is very good. But then, you do not have computerization in all the zones. That means, they have to be verified. It is taking so long a time that it becomes very difficult. Also, because of the verification which is not being done, refunds are not coming in time. That must also be looked into and streamlined. That is also the case with the Service Tax reforms. They are not simple to put forth.

          Let me also talk about the BCTT – the Banking Cash Transaction Tax for withdrawal of money from the bank. If there is a provision like Section 40 (a) (iii), cash payment exceeding Rs.20,000, that is understood. These are causing hardships. Now, you are saying that you are going to withdraw this by 2009. What does it mean? Why have you these two? How are you gaining from it? If you are not gaining from it, why do you leave it till 2009?  Why can you not do it today itself?

          Some proposals and amendments have been made for the charitable purposes. What you have said is that under the charitable purposes, there are a lot of Charities which do business; they are not Charitable Trusts any more  and they have to be amended. Can you at least take out the Boarding Schools? They are providing dresses, food, stay and all that should be excluded from that. Please consider that because that is very important. I think I have covered all the points that I have.… (Interruptions)

SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM: The Boarding School falls under the first part of the definition of  Education.  It does not fall under the last part. There is no confusion. Please see that. There are two parts of the definition. Education falls under the first part which is not being amended.

SHRI VIJAYENDRA PAL SINGH :  I thank you very much for the clarification. There are only two more points that I want to cover.

          One is Tax Holiday for the hotels in the area where there is  UNESCO recognition. Why only the UNESCO-recognised sites have been chosen for it?  In Rajasthan, we have a lot of tourism potential. We have a lot of other problems. We are a landlocked State. If tourism can be given a boost, that will help. Rural tourism in Rajasthan is coming up in  a very big way. I would want you to kindly look into rural tourism, give a Tax Holiday for rural tourism. Also, I think, in the NCR Region, the Commonwealth Games are going to take place. If that is also going to be given an exemption and Tax Holiday, please give it to Rajasthan also.… (Interruptions)

          I have one last point to make. You have given Rs.50 crore only for saving the tiger. I think the sum of Rs.50 crore is not good enough because there are 28 Project Tigers. That has been a big worry for the hon. Prime Minister as well. I hope from Rs.50 crore for saving tiger, you can raise it to at least Rs.200 crore.

          With these words, I conclude.

                                                                                                           

 SHRI K.C. PALLANI SHAMY (KARUR) : Let me thank the chair for giving me an opportunity to speak on the Finance Bill for the year 2008-09.  On Behalf of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, let me reflect the views and demands of the Government of Tamil Nadu led by our leader Dr. Kalaignar Karunnanidhi and ably assisted by able lieutinents especially our Thalapathi Stalin.  Let me share some of my points too on this Bill.

          On the one side it is heartening that the growth rate of our Gross Domestic Product is moving up.  On the other side there is a cause for anxiety induced by the spiralling up of prices.

          Amidst this, Hon. Members are expressing their concern, reservations, oppositions and expectations both on tax revenue of the Union Government and on the new tax proposals.  It is estimated that the proposed tax revenue would be Rs.6,02,935/- crores.  This is about 13% increase than the previous year.  Of the total receipt of the Government, corporation tax fetches 24 percent, income tax earns 15 percent, customs mobilises 13 percent, excise tax provides 15 percent and service tax helps to collect 7 percent.

          There are views and counterviews about the service taxes.  They are directly passed on to the public.  There is a view that there must be a cushion.  It is suggested that there must be a tax on the nett  profit made in the service sector. There must be a fair deal.  Without giving rise to a spurt in inflation and without affecting the interests of the public the controversy over service tax must be settled.  I hope our able Finance Minister Shri Chidambaram would manage with the adeptness of rope walk in a circus ensuring the earning of better revenue for the Government and good name for the United Progressive Alliance.

   

*English translation of the speech originally delivered in Tamil           India and other countries are producing the yarn or filament needed for the manufacturing of masquito nets.  But Bangladesh manages to send across to India the yarn adopting the means of undercutting and under invoicing.  Due to this the basic material for masquito nets received from Bangladesh causes loss to the manufacturers in India.  Centre must impose a ban on this unfair trade practice.

          Cotton garments and finished products exported from cotton goods centres like Karur attract commissions paid to foreign agents. Now the trading community especially the exporters have got ‘notices’ from the Government to pay service tax on such commissions paid.  A demand like this made all on a sudden now for the past four years with retrospective effect is causing anxiety.  This is a taxation on turn over already accounted for.  This will affect current business activity.  Hence I urge upon the centre to rescind this move.  In future, if it is to levied, let it be on commission paid beyond ten percent and more.

          Tamil Nadu has attracted Foreign Direct Investment out surpassing the total FDI that was made there in the last sixteen years. Such states that manage the finances well in building infrastructure and administer well to ensure peace and conducive atmosphere with efficient management of finance and administration must be rewarded with matching grants. The central grant on this count is a mere Rs. 5576 crores.  This may be enhanced taking in to consideration the aspects like 76% of spending on salaries and pension from its own tax income and the need to reduce and redraw the tax rate on higher tax loans.  It is estimated that the revenue expenditure of the Government of Tamil Nadu would be at Rs.51,400 crores.  In the meantime the possible impact of 6th Pay Commission is looming large. Considering these aspects and also the fact that measures aimed at poverty eradication and lifting up the poor are managed will in Tamil Nadu, let there be liberal enhanced sharing of tax revenue.  With this plea let me conclude expressing my support to this Finance Bill.

   

SHRI NAVEEN JINDAL (KURUKSHETRA): Madam, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak on the Finance Bill, 2008. I support the Finance Bill and in doing so, I have sufficient reasons which I would mention in detail before this august House, through you.

          Madam, one of the most welcome aspects of the Finance Bill and the Budget is that it has put no new tax burden so far as direct taxes are concerned. On the contrary, it has provided tax relief to men, women and senior citizens. That is why, everybody has applauded the Finance Minister. He has put more money in people’s hands and thus added to their purchasing power. As a consequence, the demand for goods will surely go up leading to an overall boom in the economy.

          I am sure that the whole House will commend the efforts made by the hon. Finance Minister and his team to achieve unprecedented success in tax collection. The tax collection has been increasing every year since Shri Chidambaram has taken charge of the Finance Ministry. On several occasions, the collection has gone beyond the anticipated targets. For example, the tax collection during 2007-08 is likely to exceed the revised target of Rs. 3.08 lakh crore. This is mainly due to the awareness created among the tax payers through publicity campaign. If rules and regulations are further simplified, I have no doubt that the tax payers, particularly the small and medium ones, will come forward to pay the taxes and boost the tax collection in a big way. The growing tax collection is also an indication of the phenomenal growth in trade and business. It is a sure sign that our economy is poised for continued high growth. The credit for this goes to our Finance Minister for the well thought out steps taken from time to time.

          Madam, I compliment the hon. Finance Minister for paying special attention to the setting up of hospitals in tier I and tier II cities and availability of medicines at cheaper rates. In the Finance Bill, 2008, he has reduced the customs duty on several life-saving drugs and their bulk drug ingredients from 10 to 5 per cent. The excise duty on all goods produced in the pharmaceutical sector has been slashed from 16 to 8 per cent. The hon. Finance Minister has gone a step ahead and given a five year tax holiday to set up hospitals in tier I and tier II cities. This will give a big fillip to the healthcare sector as several big players would like to set up hospitals in smaller towns.

          In the rural and semi-urban areas of our country, lakhs of poor farmers and workers take loans from unorganized sources and by doing so, they, sometimes, expose themselves to exploitation by some unscrupulous persons. I would like to remind the hon. Finance Minister that in order to protect the innocent poor people from such exploitation, he took a unique initiative. As the Finance Minister during 1996-98, he announced in his Budget Speech that Local Area Banks will be set up to provide loans to the people in rural and semi-urban areas in an organized manner in order to promote their viable economic activities. It was a very thoughtful scheme and people greeted it with great enthusiasm. In August, 1996, the Reserve Bank of India approved that Local Area Banks may be opened in the private sector. However, in 2003 the Reserve Bank of India decided not to permit the opening of such banks due to some structural shortcomings in the scheme. Fortunately we have Shri Chidambaram as our Finance Minister again and I would like to suggest that he may once again take the initiative to revive this scheme of setting up Local Area Banks.[R56]  17.00 hrs. [r57] If there were any weaknesses in the structure of these banks, they can be resolved.

          Madam, the Government has announced to waive the loan amounting to Rs.60,000 crore taken by the farmers, who are having not more than two hectares of land, from the financial institutions up to 31st march, 2007.  However, I will impress upon the hon. Finance Minister to increase this ceiling of land from two hectares, keeping in view the land productivity, land falling in flood prone areas, desert land, land having no irrigation facilities, etc. Similarly, the cut off date of 31st March 2007 also needs to be revised keeping in view the cropping cycles in the country.

          Madam, I would like to thank the hon. Finance Minister for a request that all the sportspersons had made to him to exempt the air weapons from customs duty.  Air weapons were attracting almost 35 per cent customs duty and this time it was completely exempted.  This would go a long way in promoting the sport of shooting in the country because India does have a tremendous potential in the international arena when it comes to shooting.

          Sports in India need a very big boost.  Every time in the Olympics or in the international arena when we perform badly, we do some soul searching, but we have not really done enough to promote the cause of sports in the country, especially, the Olympics.  I have been requesting time and again that the Government must come out with incentives for corporates, both in the public sector and the private sector, which come forward to help Olympic sports.  The Government must give them 150 per cent tax exemption.  Today also, whatever expenditure the companies make, they are given 100 per cent tax exemption.  But that is not enough.  That has not motivated enough companies to come forward.  So, I would like to request that 150 per cent tax exemption must be given to companies coming forward to promote Olympic sports and to sponsor Olympians because if we do not do that then, ultimately, again we will be feeling bad if we do not perform well in the international arena.

          Madam, I had earlier suggested to the hon. Finance Minister that in our duty free shops at the Indian Airports, they were not accepting the Indian rupee, but this was allowed later on and I thank the hon. Finance Minister for that. But recently, I just found out about a week ago that they accept the Indian rupee only from Indians and when the foreigners are going back after their visit to India, whatever Indian rupee is left with them and if they want to spend that money in the duty free shops they are not allowed to do that.  It is very funny actually. They then shout at the duty free shops asking why do they not accept their own Indian rupee.  I would like to request the hon. Minister to take care of this issue.

          Another small issue is that now since the Indian rupee has been made convertible on the current account, still when Indians going abroad want to get foreign currency, they have to fill up long forms whereas in other countries, for smaller amounts this kind of form filling is not required. I would request the hon. Finance Minister to make it simpler.

          My last point is regarding the Sixth Pay Commission. The recommendations have been received by the Govt. and I understand that a Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary is going into the grievances and reactions of different categories of employees.  I would urge here that special attention must be paid to the demands put forth by our valiant armed forces, para-military forces, and our police force because they are the ones because of whose efforts our country is safe today.  So, we must give due consideration to their needs.

          Madam, I thank you for giving me this opportunity. With these words, I once again support the Finance Bill, 2008.

[r58]          श्री हंसराज गं. अहीर (चन्द्रपुर): सभापति महोदया, आज इस सदन में वित्त विधेयक परे चर्चा हो रही है और इसे पारित करने के लिए सदन में रखा गया है। मेरे से पूर्व वक्ता इस विषय पर बोले हैं, मैं विशेषकर किसानों की भावनाओं को सरकार के सामने रखना चाहता हूं। सरकार ने वर्ष 2008-09 में किसानों के ऋण माफी की घोषणा की है और घोषणा करते समय देश के करीब चार करोड़ किसानों को लाभ मिलने का सरकार द्वारा आंकड़ा दिया गया है। यह सही भी हो सकता है क्योंकि पांच एकड़ भूमि तक वाले किसानों को इसकी सीमा में रखा गया है और कुल मिलाकर साठ हजार करोड़ रुपए की ऋण मुक्ति का जो लाभ किसानों को मिलने वाला है। मैं इस संबंध में महाराष्ट्र की बात कहना चाहता हूं। सरकार ने घोषणा की है, 29 फरवरी 2008 तक जिन किसानों पर कर्जा है उन्हीं को इसका लाभ मिलेगा। मैं इस तरफ माननीय मंत्री जी का ध्यान आकृष्ट करना चाहता हूं कि 29 फरवरी, 2008 के पूर्व जिन गरीब किसानों ने बैंक से कर्ज लिया था उन्हें इस अच्छे अभियान और घोषणा का लाभ नहीं मिल रहा है। महाराष्ट्र में जिन किसानों को लाभ मिलने वाला है उनमें 1 करोड़ 21 लाख 4 हजार से ज्यादा किसानों ने ऋण लिया हुआ है और 43 लाख 41 हजार किसानों को इसका लाभ मिलेगा। मैं वित्त मंत्री जी का ध्यान इस ओर दिलाना चाहता हूं कि विदर्भ में किसानों ने आत्महत्याएं की जिसके कारण सरकार को ऋण मुक्ति के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ा। अनेक किसानों ने आत्महत्याएं की जिसके कारण माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी को भी विदर्भ के कुछ हिस्सों में जाकर पैकेज की घोषणा करनी पड़ी लेकिन इसके बावजूद किसानों की आत्महत्याएं नहीं रुकी हैं। सौभाग्य से इस बजट में सरकार ने ऋण मुक्ति की घोषणा की है। महाराष्ट्र में 43 लाख 41 हजार किसानों को ऋण मुक्ति का लाभ मिलेगा। विदर्भ में 10 लाख 30 हजार किसान हैं जिनका 16 हजार 30 करोड़ का ही ऋण मुक्त होगा।  हम जिसे पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र कहते हैं, वहाँ  10,244 करोड़ रुपए का ऋण माफ होगा। मैं यह फिगर इसलिए दे रहा हूं क्योंकि यहां दो हेक्टेयर की बात रखी है, पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र में जो किसान फलों की, जैसे अंगूर, केले और अनार की खेती करते हैं, इन लोगों को एक हेक्टेयर अंगूर की खेती के लिए एक लाख रुपए, अनार की खेती के लिए 80,000 रुपए तक लोन दिया जाता है। लेकिन विदर्भ के किसान, जो धान, कपास या सोयाबीन की खेती करते हैं, को 5,000 से 8,000 रुपए ही लोन दिया जाता है। इस तरह से कुल मिलाकर विदर्भ में कोई किसान नहीं है जिस पर 50,000 रुपए से ज्यादा लोन है। इसी वजह से मैं आंकड़ें दे रहा हूं और बताना चाहता हूं कि विदर्भ में जिन किसानों ने आत्महत्या की हैं, उन्हें इस ऋण का कोई लाभ नहीं मिला है। इसमें और किसान भी हैं जिनके पास 15 या 20 एकड़ भूमि है, उन्होंने भी आत्महत्याएं की है, यह बहुत गंभीर विषय है। विदर्भ के किसानों ने आत्महत्याएं की हैं जिसकी वजह से ऋण मुक्ति हुई है, मै यह दावे के साथ कहना चाहता हूं कि इससे ही पूरे देश का ध्यान आकर्षित हुआ था। माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी आप सीमा बढ़ाने की ओर ध्यान दें। जब वीपी सिंह जी की सरकार थी तब ऋण मुक्त किया था, उस समय भूमि की सीमा नहीं रखी थी, ऋण की राशि पर कर्ज माफ किया था। इसका आधार लिया जा सकता था, जैसे एक लाख रुपए के कर्ज वाले किसान को ऋण मुक्त किया जाए तो इससे विदर्भ के किसानों को लाभ मिलता। सरकार इस पर विचार करे क्योंकि विदर्भ में किसानों की आत्महत्याएं हो रही हैं।

          पिछले सप्ताह प्रश्न काल में वित्त मंत्री जी ने जवाब दिया था कि मुद्रास्फीति की वजह क्या है?[r59]   इसकी वजह यह है कि हमें अनेक चीजों का आयात करना पड़ता हैं। उसमें उन्होंने दाल और खाद्य तेल आदि का उल्लेख किया था। मैं आपके माध्यम से माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी का ध्यान आकर्षित करना चाहता हूं, यहां अनेक माननीय सदस्यों ने भी कहा कि हम खाद्य तेल और दालें मलेशिया,  इंडोनेशिया और आस्ट्रेलिया आदि देशों से आयात करते हैं, जिसकी वजह से हमारे देश में मुद्रास्फीति हो रही है और महंगाई बढ़ रही है। मैं इसका उल्लेख इसलिए कर रहा हूं, क्योंकि हम अपने देश में जो पाम ऑयल का आयात करते हैं, उसकी खेती हम अपने देश में बड़े पैमाने पर कर सकते हैं। एक निजी संगठन द्वारा देश में इस बारे में एक सर्वे किया गया है और हमारे कृषि मंत्री जी को उसकी रिपोर्ट दाखिल की गई है। उसमें यह बताया गया है कि जहां मलेशिया, इंडोनेशिया में सीसाइड में पाम ट्री पैदा होते है। हमारे देश में दस लाख हैक्टेअर भूमि ऐसी है जहां हम पामट्री की फसल पैदा करके खाद्य तेल की जरूरत पूरी कर सकते हैं। लेकिन हमारे देश का जो बजट बनता है, उसमे इस ओर ध्यान नहीं दिया जाता है। इसलिए मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि हमें अपने देश को आत्मनिर्भर बनाने के लिए इन चीजों पर ध्यान देना पड़ेगा। यहां केवल अनाज या खाद्य तेलों के बढ़े हुए दामों की बात नहीं चल रही है, देश में हर चीज के दाम बढ़ते जा रहे हैं। आज सीमेन्ट और लोहे के दाम बहुत अधिक बढ़ गये हैं। लेकिन हम इसके लिए क्या करते हैं,िजन उद्योगपतियों को हम आयरन-ओर और लाइम स्टोन का ब्लाक दे रहे हैं, उनसे हम कुछ नहीं पाते हैं। उन्हें हम तीन पैसे, पांच पैसे किलो के हिसाब से पत्थर देते हैं और उन्हीं के माध्यम से हम पचास रुपये किलो के हिसाब से खरीद करते हैं। उन पर हमारा कोई अंकुश नहीं है। इसलिए हम वित्त मंत्री जी से कहना चाहते हैं कि कम से कम हमारे देश में एक ऐसा कानून बने, जैसे कि आज हम चीजों पर सेल प्राइस प्रिंट करते हैं, लेकिन उसकी प्रोडक्शन कास्ट क्या है, वह हमें पता नहीं होती है। इसलिए उस पर उत्पादन लागत भी प्रिंट होनी चाहिए कि एक टन लोहे या एक टन सीमेन्ट के लिए हमारे कारखानेदारों ने, इंडस्ट्री ने कितनी लागत लगाई है। अगर हम चीजों पर प्रोडक्शन कास्ट प्रिंट कर देते हैं तो मुझे विश्वास है कि देश में बढ़ती हुई कीमतों पर हम अवश्य अंकुश लगा पायेंगे और देश को जो महंगाई से जूझना पड़ रहा है, उस पर रोक लगेगी और जनता को उसका लाभ मिलेगा।

          महोदया, इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ मैं अपना वक्तव्य समाप्त करता हूं।

SHRI K. FRANCIS GEORGE (IDUKKI): Madam Chairman, the General Budget for 2008-09 has been receiving a lot of praises and criticisms mainly, I believe, due to various proposals that have been announced by the hon. Finance Minister relating to the farm sector.  So, the critics and the admirers have both found good and fault with the waiver of agricultural debts to the tune of Rs.60,000 crore.

          Madam, for the first time in the post-Independent India, the hon. Finance Minister has taken a rightful decision and said that the waiver is only the repayment of the debt that the country owes to the farmers.  The point is whether the Government and the hon. Finance Minister have taken a decision to really repay the debt that the country owes to the farmers, who have contributed significantly in the development of this country for the past six decades.

          Madam, the waiver that has been announced is to the tune of Rs.60,000 crore. But Dr. Radhakrishna Committee, which was entrusted with the task of finding out the problems that were there in the farm sector, had itself found that the agricultural debt amounted to Rs. 1,30,000 crore.  Everybody knows that only 27 per cent amongst the farming community can have an access to institutional credit, and the rest, the majority, that is, more than 70 per cent of the farming community depends on the moneylenders.  This factor is not at all taken care of in this announcement.[H60]            Waiver is specifically for loans classified under the head “Agricultural Loans.”  In fact, I can tell you from my experience in Kerala especially for the Cooperative Sector that 90 per cent of the loans are availed by the farmers under the heads, namely, Household Needs, Medical Treatment, Funeral Expenses and also for Repayment of Earlier Loans.

          When we made a study of four Cooperative Banks in our rural areas we found that they had given a credit amounting to around Rs. 40 crore to Rs. 45 crore.  Out of that, the credit, which comes under the head “Agricultural Loans”, is only Rs. 2.75 crore.  The whole amount of Rs. 40 crore to Rs. 45 crore was availed by  the farmers  and there is  no industrial activity, not much of trading  activity in that area; it is purely a village area.  The farmers were compelled to take these loans under various heads due to their distress position in the farming sector.  Therefore, if we do not address those loans too, how can we save the farmers from the debt trap that they are already in?

 The hon. Finance Minister has set a target of Rs. 2,80,000 crore on agricultural credit for 2008-09.  The hon. Minister has very proudly announced that  the last year’s  target was exceeded; that may be right. But the point is that how much of this was disbursed as new credit.  The majority must have gone as book adjustments.  So, achievement of target does not  reflect the real position.

I again speak of Kerala situation.  There  has been an Arrears Clearance Campaign in the Cooperative Sector recently.  So, the majority of the loans were renewed, and those who were  faithful to the banks, those who had very faithfully repaid the loans would  be left out of this waiver scheme.  Therefore, how are we going to  help the farmers by a pronouncement of this nature?   That is a very critical issue. Therefore, I would request the hon. Finance Minister that he should revisit those areas.

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Please conclude.

SHRI K. FRANCIS GEORGE : Is my time over?

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Yes.

SHRI K. FRANCIS GEORGE : I am just concluding.

Madam, I would just restrict myself to the farm sector.

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Kindly give crisp points.

SHRI K. FRANCIS GEORGE : Okay. I would request that special attention must be given to pepper.  It is subjected to stiff international competition, especially from Vietnam and the South East Asian nations.

          We should also have a scheme for protection of seeds.  Recently, we read in the newspapers that there is a particular scheme called Seed Walt in Norway to protect all kinds of seeds throughout the world for the future generations. We should have some kind of a scheme of that nature.

          Of course, we are demanding that the interest rates on the agricultural loans should be reduced to four per cent but nothing much has been done on that count.  There is very little about post-harvest operations, organic farming, research etc., in the Budget Speech.  

          Madam, as far as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme is concerned, I would request the hon. Minister to effectively implement this very good programme. Work done on marginal and small farmers holdings also should be included under this programme.

          When the Central Sales Tax is going to be reduced to two per cent, the States are going to suffer. I would request the hon. Minister that the Centre should compensate to the States for the loss, which they are going to suffer out of this reduction of the Central Sales Tax to two per cent.

          The National Saving Scheme has been very popular for pensioners, for foreign returnees and for the general public. But since last several years, due to the non-revision of the interest and the MIS bonus, there are no takers for the National Savings Scheme now.[r61]            In fact, the Scheduled Commercial Banks have come out with short-term attractive financial schemes but not by the National Service Scheme. I would request the Finance Minister to really think about it to bring the National Service Scheme into the forefront again.

          Also, in the last year’s Budget 2007-08, a levy of service tax of 12.8 per cent has been imposed on income of immovable property, including buildings. The Central Excise Department is now demanding service tax from Local Self-Government institutions on the rental of the buildings owned by the Local Self-Government institutions. These buildings have been constructed by the LSGs by availing loans from HUDCO and other financial institutions. If tax is levied on the rental, on this income, the Local Self-Government institutions will be very much affected. Their income will be affected. So, I would request the Government to really, seriously think about it. When we speak about devolving powers and empowering the Local Self-Governments, we should not be taxing them actually.

          Since there is no time left, I would like to conclude. I would request the hon. Finance Minister to seriously think about all these things.

                                                                                                 

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Now, Prof. Ramadass, you can speak for only five minutes.

PROF. M. RAMADASS (PONDICHERRY): Madam, on behalf of our Party, PMK, I rise to support the Finance Bill, 2008.

          At the outset, I wish to compliment and congratulate the UPA Government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh, a world renowned economist, and its Finance Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram for presenting a Finance Bill which is in consonance with the macro needs of the country today. This Finance Bill, the fourth in succession, continues the efforts of the Government to provide stability to the tax system of the country.

Many people should know that from 1991, historically, if we see, the Indian economy as well as the tax system in the country were in doldrums in 1991 because of the fiscal profligacy, lower taxes and higher expenditure which led to fiscal crisis, economic crisis in 1991. It was destined to Dr. Manmohan Singh, who happened to be the Finance Minister at that point of time, to reverse the trend and to bring about fiscal consolidation and fiscal stability. It is in the footsteps of Dr. Manmohan Singh that Mr. P. Chidambaram has now undertaken this task, and the Finance Bill of this year is one more step towards strengthening the tax system.

I see a number of positive benefits or positive aspects in this Finance Bill. Our friends from the BJP were criticizing the Finance Bill on various erroneous considerations. They do not realize that when they left this Government, the tax GDP ratio in the country was just only 9.2 per cent. But look at the tax GDP ratio today. It is about 13 per cent which is something unheard of in the fiscal history of India. Now, this is a remarkable and commendable achievement of the UPA Government, and it has been done through the various tax proposals that we have brought.

No doubt today India has a very sound system characterized by tax compliance, higher efficiency in tax collections, higher tax revenue and better tax administration. We have tried to remove most of the loopholes in the tax system today. Therefore, the provisions relating to the tax system are all commendable as of today. Now, one of the admirable features of this Tax Bill, the Finance Bill is that we have been able to increase the tax revenue of the Government manifold, and to substantiate this, I would like to give only a figure. In 2006-07, the total tax revenue was Rs. 4,73,512 crore and today it has been increased to 6,87,715 crore. This, no doubt, has increased the tax GDP ratio to 13 per cent.

On the one hand when the tax revenue is increasing, on the other hand we have taken up a number of economy measures or expenditure compressing measures which have brought complete fiscal consolidation today, which was a great problem for the Indian economy 15 years ago.[m62]            Today, what is the revenue deficit in proportion to GDP? It has come down to one per cent and by 2009, we would be able to completely wipe out revenue deficit, which would be a salient achievement of this Government. This is what a Finance Bill is supposed to do. It is not about loan waiver; it is not about inflation; it is not about farmers’ problems; and it is not about farmers’ suicides; a Finance Bill has to be concerned with the provisions in the Finance Bill.

I am talking about the Finance Bill. I want to give both sides of the Finance Bill. So, kindly give me some time. With this request, I will proceed. In the FRBM Act, we said that we would reduce fiscal deficit to 3.5 per cent, but this year itself we are reaching the target and going ahead of the target by bringing it to three per cent. It is because of the fiscal consolidation efforts that we have made. Not only we have made fiscal consolidation, hon. Finance Minister has created a fiscal space where he has set aside an amount of money which can be used to meet any kind of financial eventualities or contingencies in the future. He is very confident to manage any situation, whether it is concerning import or exports, oil or other things. He will be able to manage them because of the fiscal consolidation effort, which is the result of sound tax proposals he has brought in the last year’s Finance Bill and in this year’s Finance Bill. He will also bring such proposals in the next year’s Finance Bill. Therefore, the era of financial instability and fiscal deficit is over as far as India is concerned. We can definitely say this. Perhaps the BJP may try to revert it, if by God’s grace, they come to power. … (Interruptions)

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO (KALAHANDI): Madam, I would like to submit that I have heard the speeches of the Communist Members of Parliament and Members from the Treasury Benches. It seems that they are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. … (Interruptions)

PROF. M. RAMADASS : No. … (Interruptions)

 

SHRI BIKRAM KESHARI DEO : You are running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. Sometimes, you are supporting and sometimes you are not supporting.… (Interruptions)

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Please do not interrupt.

… (Interruptions)

PROF. M. RAMADASS : Madam, I am an objective evaluator of the Finance Bill. I commend wherever commendation is required. Let anybody say in this House whether this country has seen this kind of fiscal consolidation so far. If any Member challenges me, I am prepared to discuss with him. I am giving the facts. It is not that I am supporting or opposing.

          The tax system in this country has been regressive for a very long time in the sense that the tax system was relying more on indirect taxes rather than direct taxes, but an important character of the tax system in the country today is that this year has been a landmark year where direct taxes are contributing 53 per cent of the total tax revenue in the country and 47 per cent taxes are coming by way of indirect taxes.  Therefore, our tax system today has become more and more progressive.

          Another anomaly which we have found in the case of service tax is that in the years 1994, 1995, 1996 and all that, not even a single pie was being derived from service sector though it was contributing 55 per cent to the GDP of the country, but today we are getting about Rs. 64,460 crore by way of Service Tax. That is another remarkable achievement.

          We are giving five-year tax holiday to hospitals, which will contribute to hospital service reaching the people. In the case of 2-star, 3-star and 4-star hotels, we are giving income-tax exemptions if they are established in certain selected districts. I would only request the hon. Finance Minister to include Puducherry as one among the districts eligible for such an exemption.

          I would also bring it to the notice of the House that the cost of tax collection in this country today is one of the lowest in the world. We are incurring a cost of 60 paise to collect Rs. 100, which is one of the lowest in the world.

          The general CENVAT has been reduced from 16 per cent to 14 per cent, which will have a soothing effect on the prices in the country. Also, the customs duties and excise duties have been reduced considerably. This will reduce the cost of production of the commodities and thereby, the cost-push tendencies would be reduced and it should have a soothing effect on the inflationary pressures. Having consideration with all this, I welcome this Bill.

          There are one or two points which I would like to bring to the notice of the Government. Puducherry has moved to VAT system and this has reduced our revenue, but you are keeping the Central Sales Tax also there at two per cent.[SS63]   This seems to be incompatible as this imposes more burden on the people there. Therefore, I would request the Government to withdraw this amount.

SHRI K. FRANCIS GEORGE (IDUKKI): Madam, I would like to make a point here. Pondicherry has not implemented the uniform VAT rate, which has been proposed by the VAT Empowered Committee. Now, they have low VAT rates at Mahi, which affects income of a State like Kerala. … (Interruptions)

PROF. M. RAMADASS : No, we have adopted it now.

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Please do not disturb each other.

… (Interruptions)

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Please do not record anything except the speech of Prof. Ramadass.

(Interruptions) … * PROF. M. RAMADASS : We have shifted to Value Added Tax (VAT) one year ago and we are experiencing considerable loss of revenue, and the presence of Central Sales Tax (CST) is not consistent with the VAT. Therefore, I would request the Government to abolish the CST as far as Pondicherry is concerned.

          A part of the revenue of the Service Tax, as we have already decided, has to be shared with the States. The States are in stringent financial situation, and the Government is now mopping up about Rs. 64,000 crore.

MADAM CHAIRMAN: You have put forth all the points very nicely. Please conclude now.

PROF. M. RAMADASS : A part of this must be given to the States like Tamil Nadu where we require more funds from the Government also.

          Finally, as regards the Commodity Transaction Tax, the Government should carefully analyze with the help of an expert committee whether this tax is acting against the prices or motivating the hedgers and hoarders to go in for taxes. The commodities are already subject to VAT, and then there is octroi, mandi tax and many other taxes that are imposed on the commodities. The Commodities Transaction Tax is there to fuel the inflationary forces simply because the traders are hoarding these commodities to avoid this tax.

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Prof. Ramadass, thank you very much.

PROF. M. RAMADASS : Therefore, the Government should consider the possibility of withdrawing this tax.

   

* Not recorded           With these few suggestions, I once again compliment the Finance Minister. The UPA Government should come back to power and present a very nice Finance Bill, so that the Indian economy will have better prospects in future for financial stability. Thank you, Madam.         

 

SHRI ANANDRAO VITHOBA ADSUL (BULDHANA): Thank you, Madam. Definitely, I will not misuse the opportunity given to me by you. I will highlight only one point, which my colleague Shri Ahir had raised earlier. I am representing Buldhana constituency, which is a part of Vidarbha. Unfortunately, Vidarbha is known for suicides by farmers, and nearly 191 farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of Vidarbha after the declaration of the loan waiver scheme in the Budget. The reason is that there is a ceiling of 5 acres and 2 hectares in the loan waiver scheme. But the land ceiling of the farmers of Vidarbha is above 5 acres. Their produce is very less, and their loan amount is also very less. It is not more than Rs. 5,000 per acre -- as has been stated by my colleague Shri Ahir -- as against in some other areas. I will not specify the areas, but the loan that the farmers have taken from the banks is between Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 1 lakh per acre in other areas as against in Vidarbha, which is not more than Rs. 5,000 per acre. This is the reason that the land holding is high, that is, more than 5 acres. Therefore, the loan amount is less, and the produce is less. Hence, they are not benefited by this loan waiver scheme as nearly 67 per cent of the farmers are not getting its benefits.

          There are so many other points to be mentioned, but I will raise only this particular point during the opportunity given to me by you. I would request that this point should be considered, namely, that the land holdings should be increased, at least, up to 15 acres or amount-wise up to Rs. 50,000 should be there in it. Thereafter, they will get the benefits, and the cases of suicide by farmers in my area, particularly, will stop.

                                                                                                 

SHRI S.K. KHARVENTHAN (PALANI): Thank you, Madam. I rise to support the Finance Bill for the year 2008-2009 on behalf of my Congress Party, and on behalf of my leader Shrimati Sonia Gandhi.

          First of all, I would like to congratulate and thank our hon. Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram, for presenting an agriculture-oriented Budget. It is undisputable that agriculture is the largest source of livelihood in our country. The farmers were crying for Budgetary support, and the loan waiver -- to the tune of Rs. 60,000 crore -- is a helping hand to the poor and marginal farmers.[r64]  In the year 1947, only a few Indian villages had banking facilities. Based on All India Rural Credit Survey, the Reserve Bank of India directed all other banks to open branches in rural areas and to provide loans to the farmers. In 1955, the Imperial Bank of India, which later became the State Bank of India, opened 400 branches in rural areas in order to facilitate credit to agriculturists. Very recently, the State Bank of India opened its 10,000th Branch in Tamil Nadu. The same was inaugurated by the hon. Finance Minister Shri. P. Chidambaram.

Fourteen large commercial banks were nationalized and named as NABARD. It was established by an Act of Parliament during the year 1982 to facilitate credit for agriculturists. During 1990, the number of Rural Banks in the country was only 700 and now it has risen to 3,500. After nationalization of banks by our great leader, Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the activities of moneylenders reduced significantly and the agriculturists flourished well. After Narasimhan Committee Report, the banking industry was not able to help agriculturists in an extensive manner.

          After assumption of UPA Government at the Centre during the year 2004, our Government has created Farm Credit Package to help the farmers of this country. For agriculturists, financial inflow went up from 52% in 2005 to 56% in 2006. Even after all these steps, poor farmers particularly dry land holders are not able to reach banking institutions for getting loan. Then they are opting for the private moneylenders and borrowing at higher interest. The Planning Commission has appointed Raghuram Rajan Committee to suggest financial sector reforms. The above Committee has submitted its Report very recently. As per the Report, “nearly three quarters of farm households have no access to formal sources of credit leaving the rural poor especially vulnerable to becoming victims of moneylenders. Loans taken by those in the bottom quarter of the income distribution are from informal lenders at interest rates of above 36% per annum, well above the mandated lending rate of banks”. This is the prevailing situation throughout the country. Even today, 75 per cent of the farmers of Vidarbha region are not aware of the Debt Relief Scheme announced by our Government.

I humbly request the hon. Finance Minister to take steps to direct banking sector to provide loans to all poor dry land farmers.

Our Government's Debt Relief Package is only to the poor and small farmers who are having one to two hectares of lands. Actually in rural areas most of the farmers who are possessing three to five hectares of dry lands are living in debt. For getting debt relief benefit to the farmers who are possessing land up to five hectares, a scheme should be drawn and they should be brought out of their debt.

         I want to bring certain facts about Section 40A(3) of Income Tax Act. This Section provides that any expenditure incurred in respect of which payment is made in a sum exceeding Rs.20,000 otherwise than by an Account Payee Cheque drawn on a bank or by an account payee draft, shall not be allowed as a deduction.   Except in major cities, purchases, expenses, freight charges have to be paid in cash. Particularly lorry drivers, village people for agricultural products and producers, sales in Market Committee, etc. has to be paid compulsory on the same date by cash amount of Rs.20,000.. Hence, the above ceiling may be increased to Rs.50,000.

Furthermore, now it is proposed that the date of return of income for the 44 AB cases is 30th September, 2008. I humbly request the hon. Finance Minister that status quo to be maintained as on 31st October, 2008.

Our Income Tax Act of 1961 is obsolete and many of the provisions contained in the Act have become redundant. It should be redrafted with a new Act with simplified procedures and more assessee friendly.

I further submit that the Tax Holiday for the Petroleum Sector should be restored to save the oil companies in our country.

The present Income Tax Return Forms are cumbersome unlike earlier Saral forms. It should be simplified for the convenience of all kinds of assessees.

         Now we are imposing 12 per cent Service Tax in a number of sectors. It is an unnecessary burden to the poor consumers of this country. Hence I humbly request the hon. Finance Minister that the items which come under the purview of 12 per cent Service Tax net should be reviewed and the things which are having direct impact on the common man should be brought down to for per cent, or altogether the Service Tax on those items should be withdrawn.[KMR65]  The Value Added Tax, Fringe Benefit Tax and Dividend Distribution Tax are the main reasons for recent hike in inflation rate. Hence, all these taxes should be reviewed and suitably amended.

Most of the families are depending on the income of single individual. For assessing his income for income-tax purposes, some relaxation should be given. I request the hon. Minister that a survey should be taken up for finding out single income families and more tax benefits should be extended to them.

Furthermore, I want to bring certain facts about the income-tax raids conducted by the income-tax officials to this august House. In some of the cases, during raids, they are seizing huge amounts but they are not revealing entire amounts and things which are confiscated on raids. It creates unnecessary bad name to the Department and loss of revenue to the Government. A strict scrutiny is necessary in this regard.

Respected Madam, in my constituency, particularly in Kangayam in Erode district, nearly 70 coconut oil manufacturing mills are running. They are producing coconut oil by purchasing edible grade Copra from about nearly 5 lakh coconut growing farmers in Pollachi, Pudukottai, Peravurani, Thanjavur and some places in Coimbatore District. The oil manufactured by them is used traditionally for cooking and for edible preparation. The cooking oil itself is not hair oil as such. The Central Excise Department under the Ministry of Finance proposed to levy Central Excise Duty on the coconut oil packing as "unperfumed hair oil/cosmetic and medicine" as coconut oil usage is predominantly for hair oil purposes. The Department came to the conclusion that the coconut oil packed in bottle and pouches less than one litre is used for hair oil purposes. But it is not true. Major sale of coconut oil are being sold in Kerala, Tamil Nadu are used for cooking purposes only. Further, the manufacturer does not have any control over the usage of oil by the consumer. Added with such a situation, if Central Excise Duty is leviable, it will be a severe blow to the industry and coconut growing farmers at large.

Hence, I request the Hon'ble Finance Minister to kindly intervene and direct the Central Excise authorities not to impose Central Excise for the coconut oil.

The small scale industries throughout the country are facing great hardship due to the steep hike in the price of raw materials, especially steel and aluminum to the tune of 60 per cent within a period of three months. The above industries have no option but to close down their industries, due to which lakhs of employees will become jobless. Hence, I urge upon the Finance Minister to take necessary steps to save these industries.

With these words, I am concluding my speech and supporting the Finance Bill for the year 2008-09.

श्री रामदास आठवले (पंढरपुर) :  सभापति महोदया, चिदम्बरम जी ने जो फाइनेंस बिल पेश किया है, मैं अपनी पार्टी की ओर से उसका समर्थन करने के लिए यहां खड़ा हुआ हूं। यहां आंकड़े  दिये जा रहे हैं कि व­र्ष 2003-04 में जीडीपी 9.2 परसेंट था, लेकिन हमारी सरकार आने के बाद जीडीपी 12.5 परसेंट हो गया है। यह बहुत अच्छी प्रगति है। हमारा कहना है कि जो जीडीपी दिखाया जा रहा है, उससे आम आदमी से कोई संबंध नहीं है।  मैं फाइनेंस बिल का समर्थन करता हूं, लेकिन महंगाई का समर्थन करने के लिए मैं यहां नहीं आया हूं। चिदम्बरम साहब अच्छे फाइनेंस मिनिस्टर हैं। अब महंगाई किस तरह से कम हो सकती है, इस बारे में भी देखना चाहिए। दुनिया में महंगाई बढ़ रही है इसलिए अपने देश में महंगाई बढ़नी चाहिए, ऐसी बात नहीं है।  दुनिया की स्थिति अलग है, क्योंकि दूसरी डेवलप्ड कंट्रीज हैं। अपने देश में  जब महंगाई बढ़ती है, तो 80 परसेंट लोगों पर उसका असर पड़ता है।  जो 20 परसेंट लोग हैं, जिनके पास ज्यादा पैसा है, उनके लिए महंगाई कितनी भी बढ़े, उन पर  कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता है। आजकल न्यूज पेपर्स में आ रहा है कि अनिल अम्बानी और मुकेश अम्बानी सबसे ज्यादा अमीर आदमी हैं। हमारा कहना है कि खाली एक आदमी के अमीर होने से क्या फायदा है? यहां का हर आदमी  अमीर होना चाहिए। अब अनिल अम्बानी और मुकेश अम्बानी के पास जो पैसा है, उसे सबमें बांटना चाहिए।[MSOffice66]            गरीबों को पैसा देकर उनकी गरीबी हटाने का प्रयत्न करने की आवश्यकता है। उनके पिता जी ने बहुत अच्छा काम किया, वे जूनागढ़ से मुंबई आए और गरीबी में रहकर उन्होंने बहुत अच्छी प्रगति की। हर आदमी का फाइनेंस बढ़ाने के लिए, जो हमारी जो इकोनोमी है उसे ऐसा ही बनाने की आवश्यकता है। किसानों का कर्ज माफ करने का निर्णय क्रंतिकारी कदम है। जब हमारे यहां अकाल पड़ा था तो हम अटल जी के पास जाकर बोलते थे कि महाराष्ट्र के लिए हमें पैसा दे दीजिए तो उन्होंने केवल 50 करोड़ रूपए दिए थे, लेकिन मनमोहन सिंह जी जब विदर्भ में आए तो वहां उन्होंने 3750 करोड़ रूपए का पैकेज दिया और अब 60,000 करोड़ रूपए का किसानों का कर्ज माफ करने की बात है। लेकिन किसानों की जो आत्महत्या हो रही है, वह बैंक के लोन से नहीं हो रही है, बल्कि वह साहूकारों के कर्ज की वजह से हो रही है। इसलिए मेरी मांग है कि उसे भी माफ किए जाने की आवश्यकता है। इसी तरह आपने इसके लिए पांच एकड़ भूमि की जो सीमा रखी है, उसे बढ़ाकर 20 एकड़ किए जाने की आवश्यकता है। 20 एकड़ तक भूमि रखने वाले किसानों का भी कर्ज माफ किए जाने पर सरकार को विचार करना चाहिए। एससी-एसटी लोगों के लिए बहुत सी घोषणाएं की जाती हैं।  जब इंदिरा गांधी जी प्रधानमंत्री थी, उन्होंने स्पेशल कंपोनेंट प्लान और ट्राइबल्स के लिए ट्राइबल सबप्लान बनाया था। एससी लोगों की पापुलेशन 16.2 प्रतिशत और एसटी पापुलेशन 8.2 प्रतिशत है, इस तरह 24.4 प्रतिशत बजट एलोकेशन एससी-एसटी लोगों के लिए होना चाहिए। सभापति महोदया आप भी इसी वर्ग से आती है, इस समय आप चेयर पर हैं, इसलिए आप सरकार को इसके लिए निर्देश दीजिए। जो 2000 करोड़ रूपए एससी-एसटी को दिए गए हैं, हमारी पापुलेशन के हिसाब से बजट में दो लाख करोड़ दिए जाने की आवश्यकता है। अगर एससी-एसटी और बीपीएल लोगों को गरीबी रेखा से ऊपर उठाना है तो दो लाख करोड़ रूपए देने की आवश्यकता है। आपने जो 2000 करोड़ रूपए दिए हैं, वह पर्याप्त नहीं हैं। अपने देश में भूमिहीन लोगों की संख्या बहुत ज्यादा है और दूसरी तरफ देश में 20 करोड़ एकड़ जमीन वेकेंट लैंड है, इसलिए मेरी मांग है कि देश के सभी भूमिहीन लोगों को इसमें से पांच-दस एकड़ जमीन दिया जाना चाहिए। सामाजिक सुरक्षा कानून जो देश के साढ़ सैंतीस करोड़ लोगों के लिए है, उनके लिए पेंशन, हैल्थ के लिए मदद और प्रोटेक्शन देने के लिए है, ऐसा कानून जल्दी से जल्दी बनाने की आवश्यकता है। महंगाई के बारे में मेरी मांग है कि खाद्य तेल, चावल, गेहूं, ज्वार, बाजरा आदि राशनिंग शाप्स के माध्यम से बीपीएल लोगों को देनी चाहिए और एपीएल के लोग भी जो बीपीएल के लेवल पर आ गए हैं, उनको भी राशनिंग शॉप्स के माध्यम से ये वस्तुं दी जानी चाहिए।  26 अलीपुर रोड पर बाबा साहब भीमराव अंबेडकर मेमोरियल को अटल जी ने अपने समय में पैसा दिया था और उनको लगा था कि इससे दलित लोगों का वोट उनको मिलेगा, लेकिन आपने जो पैसा दिया था वह केवल आपका नहीं था वह देश का पैसा था। इसलिए मेरी मांग है कि अंबेडकर स्मारक को 50 करोड़ रूपए देने चाहिए और मुंबई स्थित बाबा साहब की चैत्य भूमि के लिए 100 करोड़ रूपए देने की आवश्यकता है। इसके साथ ही हर  राज्य में और दिल्ली के आस-पास में एक बुद्धिस्ट यूनिवर्सिटी स्थापित की जानी चाहिए क्योंकि हमारे देश में अशांति फैलाने वाले तत्व बढ़ रहे हैं, उनको बुद्धिज्म सिखाने की आवश्यकता है। हमारे सामने वाले लोगों को बुद्धिज्म की ज्यादा आवश्यकता है लेकिन वे राम मंदिर की बात ज्यादा करते हैं। कल्याण सिंह जी मुंबई में जाकर बोल रहे हैं कि मुसलमानों को बाबरी मस्जिद को भूल जाना चाहिए।[R67]                                  मैं कल्याण सिंह जी को और उधर बैठने वालों को तथा वीएचपी को बताना चाहता हूं कि वे अयोध्या के राम मंदिर को भूल जाएं। मैं ज्यादा समय नहीं लेते हुए यही कहना चाहता हूं कि वित्त मंत्री चिदम्बरम जी ने फाइनेंस बिल पेश किया है, उसे जरूर मंजूर करना चाहिए, वरना किसी को भी पगार नहीं मिलेगी। इसलिए देश को चलाना है तो इस फाइनेंस बिल को मजूर करना ही चाहिए। मैं इस फाइनेंस बिल का पूरा-पूरा समर्थन करता हूं। इससे हम आगे बढ़ेंगे और देश की अर्थव्यवस्था में सुधार लाएंगे।

                                                                                                         

SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN (CHIRAYINKIL): Madam, we are at the final stage of the Budget proposals.

MADAM CHAIRMAN : The time at our disposal is very short.  Kindly give good suggestions only.

SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN : This is a peculiar situation wherein we have not discussed many of the Demands for Grants. We have discussed only four Demands for Grants of Ministries viz. Home, Defence, Rural Development and Information and Broadcasting.  All the other Demands have been guillotined and passed.  This is a case wherein the Government has the privilege of getting a very golden opportunity to pass the Budget.  By this Bill we are authorizing the Government to make payment from the Consolidated Fund of India.  We are doing this without discussion because we did not discuss any other matter.  We did not discuss the policy decisions regarding labour, agriculture or even food.  Now, we are at stage where we are authorizing them payment from the Consolidated Fund of India. Probably this will be the last chance for the 14th Lok Sabha to have such a discussion.  Next Parliament will discuss matters in detail next year, not now.  I would like to make certain suggestions.

          I have read in newspapers today that one Mr.Mittal is the richest person in Europe. Sometime back we had also read that Ambani and others are the richest persons in the world.  So, we can be proud of having the richest persons in the world.  There is another survey by the UN.  That is, India is having the largest number of people living below poverty line.  We are having crores of people living below poverty line and our per capita income is deplorably lower but still we say that the benefits of liberalization should go to the poor.  Our hon. Prime Minister, who is also the author of the liberalization policy, always says that the benefits of liberalization should go to the poor.  This is how it has gone to the poor!  We are discussing this at a time when unprecedented inflation is there in our country.  We are discussing the Budget at a time when the price rise is un-precedent in the country.  This is the situation under which we are discussing the Budget.  All our expectations about the growth of GDP have failed.  All our expectations with regard to price control have also failed.  We are now facing a very big crisis in the economic activities.  In that situation I would like to suggest something at least for the poor.

You treat the cooperative banks at par with the commercial banks.  It is very unfortunate.  The cooperative banks do yeomen service to the rural folk.  They are doing service in the developmental activities also. Cooperative banks do not function for profit motive alone.  They function for the benefits of the society.  But unfortunately you are cruel enough to take away the income tax benefit which was available to them.  Without any heart you have taken away the income tax benefit from them.  Income tax is levied on the cooperative banks at par with the commercial banks.[R68]   Is it proper?  You must think about it twice before you get the authorisation.  Now there were States like Kerala whose revenue came from sales tax. Our 40 per cent of revenue came from sales tax.  What is the position now?  Since ours is a consumer State, the Value Added Tax will not help us.  Kerala State will not get much from Value Added Tax. But you did not compensate the State the loss incurred by the State on account of foregoing the income from the sales tax.  It is a poor country and ours is a consumer State.  So, Value Added Tax will not help us.  That is another aspect which you will have to bear in mind.

          There is another thing.  Through the National Savings Scheme, our poor women and poor people in village folk had some earning.  You have cut that interest rate.  You have slashed the interest rate.  I do not know for what purpose.  The National Saving Scheme was for the benefit of power people and women.  They were getting some income and also the senior citizens were benefited by the National Savings Scheme.  You always say that the benefit should go to the poor but at the same time, you are taking away the interest accrued through the National Savings Scheme.

          Another point is regarding pension benefits. You have taken away all the benefits. You have taken away the interest of the senior citizens.   Is it proper?  In Kerala, there is one Kudumbasri Project which includes self-employment scheme for women and everything is there.  But you are discouraging it.  All these banks are not prepared to give loans to the Kudumbasri Project.  Is it proper?  Is it the way that you are giving benefits through liberalisation to the poor people?  You are cutting the benefits of Kudumbasri Project.  All the scheduled banks refuse to give it loan.  They would give loans to some other people and not to the Kudumbasri Project which is meant for poor people.  Is it the way the benefits should go to the poor man?  That is what is happening in our State.  You are also putting the money of the pension scheme into the capital market but with what result?  The poor man will be put to starvation.

          Now the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission are to be implemented.  You have appointed a committee.  The States will be put to difficulties when it is implemented.  The States like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and others will find it difficult to cope with the situation because the State service people will demand respective increments in their emoluments.  Can you help them?  Is there any provision for this?

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Shri Radhakrishnanji, you asked for two minutes but you have taken six minutes.

SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN : So you please keep in mind that you will keep a very vigilant attitude towards this matter.

MADAM CHAIRMAN: Shri Radhakrishnanji, you asked for two minutes but you have taken six minutes.  Please conclude now.

SHRI VARKALA RADHAKRISHNAN : I am concluding. Please bear in mind that you do not deprive these poor people of the benefits which they are getting.

          With these words, I conclude.

SHRIMATI K. RANI (RASIPURAM): Madam, it is my proud privilege to participate in the discussion on the Finance Bill, 2008-09.  I thank the hon. Finance Minister for allocating more money for the rural development, education, health, drinking water facilities, for the studies of students who belong to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, for the agricultural farmers, etc. MADAM CHAIRMAN: Shrimati Rani, please wait. Hon. Members, it is 6 o’clock now and I have a list of four more speakers.  If the House agrees, the time could be extended by half-an-hour.

SEVERAL HON. MEMBERS: Yes.[R69]      18.00 hrs. SHRIMATI K. RANI : Madam, Bharat Nirman is a flagship programme of the UPA Government. I am pleased to state that under the Rural Electrification programme of this Government 42 villages are being electrified each day.

          Education and health are the twin pillars of this country. This Government has made huge allocations for these two sectors and has laid stress to improve upon the quality of education and health of the people. The hon. Finance Minister has allocated 20 per cent more of the amount than what was allocated last year for these two sectors. Education is very important for people belonging to the Minorities, and OBCs. Those belonging to these categories and want to come up in their lives cannot afford money for good education. The hon. Finance Minister also has allocated funds for scholarships to be awarded to the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Also, this Government is extending 27 per cent reservation for the students belonging to these categories in higher and professional education. This Government is making a good effort to establish Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. In fact, this Government has proposed to establish 20 such vidyalayas in places where there is a larger concentration of people belonging to these communities. The hon. Finance Minister has allocated a sum of Rs. 130 crore for this purpose.

          Drinking water is a problem all over the country, especially in the Southern States. To tackle this problem of drinking water, our Government has proposed to set up a de-salination plant in Chennai and for this programme the hon. Finance Minister has allocated a sum of Rs. 300 crore. 

          Madam, agriculture is the backbone of this country. If agriculture will grow, then our economy also will grow. So, the Government has come up with an elaborate scheme in this Budget and has allocated a sum of Rs. 60,000 crore. This scheme has been devised to see that our farmers do not commit suicide and lead a better life. Never in the political history of any country has such a thing ever happened in such a grand scale.

          Madam, poultry is a very popular avocation in my constituency. Most of the poultry farmers have taken loans from their sources and I would request the hon. Minister to waive of the interest component of the loan for the two years and this would help the poultry owners a great deal. I would also like to request the Government about the fact poultry should be accorded the status as given to the agriculture sector and to the industrial sector.

          Madam, I may point out here that hon. Members have raised issues about price rise of essential commodities. The Government is not a silent spectator of this. I am concerned about the common man and the poor man of this country, but I am sure steps have been taken to tackle this problem.

          With these words, I support the Finance Bill.

           

DR. K.S. MANOJ (ALLEPPEY): Sir, the Preamble to our Constitution envisages that ours is a socialist and a democratic country. Our policies, or even the Budget should be in line with that objective of attaining a socialist nature. But from what we see in our policies and what we find in the Budget, it is unlikely that we would achieve that objective of having a socialist nature in our country. Nothing has been done to achieve that. We have heard the other day the hon. Finance Minister saying that we have achieved a 8.8 per cent growth rate in the last Plan period. But that growth has not percolated to the aam admi. There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor. [R70]  The minimum daily wage of an average Indian citizen is very low whereas the corporate bodies, the professionals and others who are working in the IT sector are enormously paid.  The minimum wages of the poor man should be fixed at a little bit higher level and, in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme itself, the minimum wage should be fixed at a higher level.

In the Budget, it is boasted that Rs. 60,000 crores have been allocated for the waiver of loans by farmers, and nearly 3 crore farmers are benefited by this Rs. 60,000 crore. This is a very paltry amount compared to the benefit given to the big multinational companies. In the last Session, I got a reply from the hon. Finance Minister that the tax exemption as regards dividend given to big companies and the tax holidays given to them amount to nearly Rs. 50,000 crores. And compared to the number of persons benefited by this Rs. 60,000 crores, I can say that it is a very minimum amount.   The number of farmers benefited by that Rs. 60,000 crore is three crore.  Madam, on comparison, you may yourself find that the benefits to the poor farmers amounts to a very meagre amount. But the UPA Government is boasting that they are giving Rs. 60,000 crore to the poor farmers. 

In the Budget itself, we find that there is no hike in the corporate tax. They are left free.  There is some hike in the direct taxation. 

As regards tax exemption, there is a proposal to give exemption in the excise duty for the drugs treating AIDS or HIV patients.  I would suggest one thing here.  India is becoming the capital of diabetics.  A good number of patients are taking insulin.  I would suggest that the excise duty exemption should be given to insulin also. .

Since hon. Member, Shri Varkala Radhakrishnan has mentioned some points, I would not like to repeat them. As regards the waiver scheme, in the Vidarbha region, agricultural loans are waived off through a special package by restructuring or rescheduling of loans by banks since 2004 and 2006. Recently, in Kerala, the cooperative banks have formed a separate scheme for the waiver which enables them to repay the amount.  And many have repaid the amount. This waiver announced in Budget should be applicable to those who have paid the amount to the banks also.

Regarding the employees provident fund and pension, the employees are getting a very meagre amount as pension. Minimum pension is Rs. 230 and the maximum pension is Rs. 500.   In the regulations of EPF, 1995, there was a scheme for commutation.   As per that scheme, after 100 months of commutation, they will get the basic amount.  But this is not being reinstituted now.  They should be given the actual amount after commutation.  Since already 100 months have been completed, they should get the actual amount as pension.

In States, there are State Finance Corporations.  These State Finance Corporations are giving loans to Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises.  But they are getting re-financed from SIDBI.  So, the rate of interest is nearly 14 to 15 per cent. If the Government could finance the KSFC directly, they can finance the SMEs at a very low rate.  Most of these SMEs are operating under self-employment schemes. So, the Government should consider financing them directly or if it is through SIDBI, the State Finance Corporation should give it at a lower rate of interest.

As regards co-operative banks, section 80(p) should not be made applicable to them. In scheduled banks, tax exemption is given for depositors for a five year period.  This facility should be extended to the depositors of the cooperat[MSOffice71] ive banks also.

          Lastly, regarding the Central Sales Tax, the revenue loss to the States, as a result of reduction in Sales Tax from three per cent to two percent,  should be adequately compensated by giving them sufficient funds. 

          There should be a Price Stabilisation Fund for the agricultural produces.  Now, it is not there.  The Minimum Support Price and the Price Stabilisation Fund should be there for agricultural produces. 

          With these few words, I conclude my speech.

 

SHRIMATI JHANSI LAKSHMI BOTCHA (BOBBILI): Thank you Madam Chairman.  I rise to support the Finance Bill 2008 presented by the hon. Finance Minister. 

          I congratulate the hon. Finance Minister for achieving the tax to GDP ratio to 12 per cent by the end of 2007-08 from 9.2 per cent during 2003-04. This was made possible as we set to achieve the Budget Estimates of indirect taxes and exceed the Budget Estimates of direct taxes.

          I welcome the indirect tax proposal on customs duties, excise and service tax and direct tax proposals on income tax. The increase in basic exemption limit for personal income tax limit is a welcome step.  This will definitely lead to broad tax base and voluntary compliance will also increase.  It is a welcome step of reducing customs duty on steel, melting scrap and aluminium scrap from five per cent to nil.  Reduction in customs duty on certain specified life saving drugs from ten per cent to five per cent is also welcome.

          I congratulate the hon. Finance Minister for exempting the anti-AIDS drugs from excise duty.   

          As India is an IT hub, I would request the hon. Finance Minister to withdraw hike in the excise duty from eight to twelve per cent on packaged software.

          I also welcome the service tax dispute resolution scheme as announced in the Finance Bill 2008-09.  As service sector is poised to become major revenue earning sector for the Government, this scheme will help in resolving the disputes and speed up service tax collection.

          Excluding the crèche facilities, sponsorship of an employee-sportsperson, organizing sports events for employees and guest houses from the purview of the FBT, the Fringe Benefit Tax, is a welcome step.  The FBT on ESoP has been made taxable from the date of investing. In this connection, I suggest it should be from the date of allotment since share prices move up and down from the date of investing to allotment and employees do not get shares on the date of investing. 

          Granting tax holiday for new hospitals outside the urban agglomeration will help in improving health infrastructure in the country.  New tax holiday for new hotels to be established in district having “World Heritage Sites” will definitely boost tourism in the coming ten to fifteen years.

          While agreeing to the hon. Finance Minister’s tax proposal, I would suggest that the Minister should take the passing of the Finance Bill in the House as another opportunity to streamline the tax base of direct and indirect taxes to tackle the price rise and inflation.  The new proposals should bring down the prices of essential commodities, petroleum products, steel and cement.

          I want to offer some suggestions for the kind consideration of the hon. Finance Minister.

          I also thank the hon. Finance Minister for focusing on gender budgeting cells taking the total number to 54.  Now, Rs. 11,146 crore has been provided for 100 per cent women-specific schemes and Rs. 16,202 crore for schemes where, at least, 30 per cent is for women-specific programmes.  With the provision of this amount, I am sure, the lot of the women would improve in the hinterland.[MSOffice72]  The Janashree Bima Yojana for 30 lakh SHGs credit linked to banks, together with the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana would definitely herald a new deal for women by providing them life and health cover.  I thank the hon. Minister of Finance for paying attention to SHGs women. Here I would request the hon. Minister of Finance to exempt from tax net all products produced by SHG groups for at least 20 years from the present seven year period.  This will go a long way in promoting entrepreneurship in women especially in rural areas.

          So far as agricultural credit is concerned, I suggest to the hon. Minister of Finance to open more Regional Rural Banks.  For 2008-09, the hon. Minister of Finance has set a target of Rs. 2,80,000 crore.  I am sure he will achieve it.  If necessary, he can always come to the House for providing additional budget for this purpose.  Regarding short-term crop loans, the interest rate of seven per cent per annum, if possible should be brought down to four per cent.

          The hon. Minister of Finance is going to introduce a crop insurance scheme for commercial crops, tea, chilli, ginger, etc., from next year. Due to unseasonal rains in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of the country, farmers have suffered huge losses.  I wonder whether it would be possible for the hon. Minister of Finance to advance the scheme in the current year itself.

          Regarding the Public Distribution System, the Government wants to deliver subsidies to the target group through smart cards. It is a smart move.  They will introduce, on a pilot basis in Haryana and Chandigarh.  After it is successful, the Government can think of introducing it in all over the country.  I request the hon. Minister of Finance to strengthen the PDS, with his tax exemption proposals to this sector.

          Thanks to the hon. Minister of Finance for providing Backward Regions Grant Fund.  Please allot funds in the urban areas as rural areas have already been allotted funds. So, please allot funds to the urban areas and to small and medium towns where there is a concentration of more developmental activities.

          So far as Industrial Training Institutes are concerned, the hon. Minister of Finance has set apart Rs. 750 crore for upgrading 300 more ITIs.  In this connection, I would like to point out that our ITIs are offering skill training in 30 trades whereas in China they are offering training in 300 trades. The concerned Ministry needs to go into this; and if necessary depute some experts to study the number of trades that country is offering.  Then, we can think of taking that country’s help. 

          Before I conclude, I want to say a few words about inflation.  With inflation continuing to torment the Government, the hon. Minister of Finance has initiated a probe against the steel and cement cartels.  We may soon see temporary drop in prices as the industry and the Government cooperate with each other to ease the inflation figure. I think, we are reacting in panicky to food prices and the panic is justified as food takes up almost 75 per cent of the available income for 50 per cent of the population.  According to some experts, even if prices drop in May and June, it may not solve the problem.  Food prices will remain a crucial issue for the Government.  But there is a good message from the third advance estimates of food production.  The aggregate production will touch a record high of 227.32 million tonnes, 10 MT more than the final estimate for last year.  Domestic production of the two principal staples, rice and wheat, are expected to set new records.  Wheat production estimated at 76.78 MT while rice output, at 95.68 MT.    Several other crops of maize, pulses, tur and urad are also estimated to touch new highs.  Thanks to the UPA Government for higher production, favourable weather conditions, good monsoon and distribution of quality seeds.  I am sure these results would definitely dent the inflation and provide relief to the common and middle classes.  The Government should come down heavily on hoarders who are creating artificial scarcity to effect inflationary pressures. 

          I congratulate the Government for achieving the record output.  I am sure the GDP growth rate would hover around nine per cent.  I look forward to pat the Government again for its all round development.

          Thank you once again.  Madam, I whole-heartedly support the Finance Bill.

 

श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ (यवतमाल): मैडम, आज सन् 2008-09 के फाइनेंशियल बिल पर डिसकशन हो रहा है। बहुत से माननीय सदस्यों ने कर्ज माफी के बारे में सुझाव दिए, मैं भी इसमें दो-चार सुझाव ही दूंगा, ज्यादा लम्बा-चौड़ा भाषण नहीं करूंगा।...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदया : राठौड़ जी, आप जल्दी से दो-चार सुझाव देकर अपना भाषण समाप्त कर दें।

श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ : शरद पवार जी कर्ज माफी के लिए महाराष्ट्र गए थे तो उन्होंने कहा था कि अभी इसमें कोई बदलाव नहीं आएगा। मैंने कल संसद में जब इस मामले को उठाया तो वित्त मंत्री जी ने कहा कि जो भी क्राइटेरिया है, उस पर हम विचार कर रहे हैं।[s73]            सभापति महोदया, उसमें सुधार की बहुत गुंजाइश है। माननीय सोनिया गांधी जी, जब महाराष्ट्र आई थीं, उन्होंने भी यह मांग की थी। इसलिए किसानों में बहुत भ्रम की स्थिति पैदा हो गई है। अब तक दो महीने हो गए हैं, लेकिन इस बारे में कोई इंस्ट्रक्शन्स नहीं आए हैं। अब एक महीने के बाद किसान अपनी खेती में प्रयोग हेतु खाद, बीज एवं अन्य सामग्री लेने के लिए लोन की मांग करेंगे, लेकिन अभी तक इस बारे में कोई व्यवस्था नहीं होने के कारण एक भ्रम की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो गई है।

          महोदया, हम हमेशा मांग करते हैं कि खेती के लिए 4 प्रतिशत ब्याज दर पर लोन उपलब्ध कराया जाए, लेकिन नहीं कराया जाता है। नाबार्ड द्वारा यदि 5 प्रतिशत की ब्याज दर पर लोन उपलब्ध कराया जाता है, तो उसके बाद भी हमारे महाराष्ट्र में यह ब्याज दर 13-14 परसेंट तक चली जाती है। वहां स्टेट अपनी तरफ से 3 परसेंट खर्च जोड़ देती है। इसी प्रकार डिस्ट्रिक्ट सेंट्रल कोआपरेटिव बैंक भी 3 परसेंट लगा देती है। इसके बाद जो सोसायटीज हैं, वे अपना 2-3 परसेंट खर्च जोड़ देती हैं और इस प्रकार यह बढ़ते-बढ़ते 13-14 परसेंट तक पहुंच जाता है। मेरा कहना है कि इसके ऊपर सेंट्रल गवर्नमेंट का कंट्रोल होना चाहिए। इस बारे में सेंट्रल गवर्नमेंट को तय करना चाहिए कि किसानों को कम से कम ब्याज दर पर लोन मिले। ठीक है, यह व्यवस्था है, लेकिन इसमें 3-3 परसेंट स्टेट गवर्नमेंट, कोआपरेटिव बैंक तथा सोसायटियां बैठे-बैठे ले रही हैं, यह ठीक नहीं है। इस तरह ये किसानों का खून चूस रही हैं। यह बन्द होना चाहिए।

          महोदया, दूसरी बात मैं मिनीमम सपोर्ट प्राइस के बारे में कहना चाहता हूं कि धान की जो कीमत है वह 650 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल और गेहू की 1000 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल है। पहले इन दोनों की प्राइस बहुत क्लोज रहती थीं। जैसे धान की कीमत 650 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल है, तो गेहूं की कीमत 700 रुपए प्रति क्विंटल होती थी, लेकिन अब इनमें बहुत डिफरेंस हो गया है।

          महोदया, हमारे यहां कपास की खेती बहुत होती है। कपास पैदा करने वाला किसान, फिर चाहे वह आंध्र प्रदेश में है, चाहे कर्नाटक में है या महाराष्ट्र में, वे ही लोग ज्यादा आत्महत्या कर रहे हैं। हम हमेशा मांग करते हैं कि आयात पर जो कस्टम डय़ूटी है, उसे ज्यादा बढ़ाना चाहिए, लेकिन सरकार क्यों नहीं बढ़ाती, पता नहीं? अगर यह हो गया और आपने किसानों के ऊपर ध्यान दिया, तो सबसे बड़ी बात होगी कि किसानों को अपनी पैदावार के उचित दाम मिलेंगे, उन्हें उचित ब्याज दर पर ऋण मिलेगा। ये सारी बातें तब हो सकती हैं, जब सरकार उनकी तरफ विशेष ध्यान दे। 

          महोदया, महंगाई के बारे में मेरा एक सुझाव है। पहले हम हमेशा कहते रहे हैं कि 'कांग्रेस का हाथ आम आदी के साथ' लेकिन अब तो "कांग्रेस का हाथ, महंगाई के साथ" हो गया है। हम सिर्फ आपको एक सुझाव देना चाहते हैं और बताना चाहते हैं कि एक प्याज ने हमारा जीवन बर्बाद कर दिया और अब तो गेहूं से लेकर स्टील तक सभी चीजों के दाम बढ़े हुए हैं।...( व्यवधान)

श्री मधुसूदन मिस्त्री (साबरकंठा): यहां फायनेंस बिल पर डिसकशन हो रहा है, प्राइस राइज पर नहीं।

श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ : प्राइस और फायनेंस में कोई फर्क नहीं है। आपकी ये नीतियां ही हैं जिनकी वजह से देश का यह हाल हो रहा है। ...( व्यवधान)

MADAM CHAIRMAN : Nothing will go on record.

(Interruptions) … * श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ : आप जो पॉलिसीज तय करते हैं, उनकी वजह से प्राइस बढ़ रही हैं। इसका रिजल्ट आपको आगे मिल जाएगा। मैंने आपको सिर्फ यह बताया है कि हमारी प्याज ने जान ले ली थी। आपके टाइम में तो सारी की सारी चीजों के दाम बेतहाशा बढ़ गए हैं। ...( व्यवधान)

सभापति महोदया : हरिभाई राठौड़ जी, प्याज किसी की जान नहीं लेती है।

…( व्यवधान)

           

 * Not recorded श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ : ठीक है। मैडम, मैं एक बहुत महत्वपूर्ण बात कहना चाहूंगा। हम हमेशा शेडय़ूल्ड कास्ट्स, शेडय़ूल्ड ट्राइब्स, ओ.बी.सी. और मायनॉरिटी की बात करते हैं। मैं चार साल से लगातार डिनोटीफाइड नोमैडिक ट्राइब्स की बात कर रहा हूं। यह एक ऐसा सैक्शन है, जिसके देश में 15 करोड़ लोग हैं। इनके लिए माननीय पं. जवाहर लाल नेहरू जी ने अलग बजट रखा था। यह बजट 1957 से गुम हो गया है। मैं इसके बारे में बार-बार कह रहा हूं, लेकिन अभी तक कुछ नहीं किया गया है। आपके ऐप्रेजल में आया है और आपके प्लानिंग डिपार्टमेंट ने यह कहा है कि इस सैक्शन पर ध्यान देना चाहिए, लेकिन बजट में इसके लिए कोई प्रावधान नहीं किया गया है।

सभापति महोदया : अब, आप लास्ट पाइंट बोलिए और अपना भाषण समाप्त कीजिए।

श्री हरिभाऊ राठौड़ : लास्ट पाइंट यह है कि आप गरीबों को बहुत सपने दिकाते हैं और केवल सपने ही दिखाते हैं। मैं आपके पिछले बजट की स्पीच अपने साथ लाया हूं। इसमें लिखा हुआ है कि आप विकलांगों के लिए बहुत कुछ कर रहे हैं, लेकिन उनके लिए 1800 करोड़ रुपए का प्रावधान अभी तक नहीं हुआ है और इस बजट में तो वित्त मंत्री जी ने विकलांगों का नाम ही नहीं लिया है। [r74]   यह सपना दिखाना आप बन्द कर दीजिए। गरीबों को केवल सपना दिखाने से काम नहीं चलेगा, देश में बहुत गरीबी है। करोड़ों लोगों को आज भी बी.पी.एल. के कार्ड नहीं मिल रहे हैं।

          आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद कि आपने मुझे टाइम दिया।

                                                                                               

श्री हरिसिंह चावड़ा (बनासकांठा) : सभापति महोदया, वित्त मंत्री जी का जो बिल है, उसको सपोर्ट करने के लिए मैं खड़ा हुआ हूं।

          उन्होंने फार्मर्स के लिए, लेडीज़ के लिए, सीनियर सिटीजंस के लिए बहुत से अच्छे-अच्छे कदम उठाये हैं। आज सुबह मैं ट्रेन से आ रहा था तो ट्रेन नई दिल्ली के आगे अगले स्टेशन पर खड़ी थी। वहां छोटे-छोटे 2-4 बच्चे जो डिब्बे में से लोग झूठन फेंक रहे थे, उसे उठाकर खा रहे थे। उनके लिए क्या व्यवस्था है? क्या इस बजट से वह बन्द हो जायेगा? मैं एक दफा बड़ौदा गया था तो सुबह के टाइम होटल से जो झूठा फेंका गया, उसमें से लोग खाना खा रहे थे, जब तक देश में यह स्थिति नहीं पलटेगी, तब तक इस बजट की कोई कीमत नहीं है। हमें तो यह करना है कि आजादी आने के बाद एक भी आदमी झूठा खाने की परिस्थिति में न आये, ऐसी परिस्थिति आप निर्माण करो।

          हमें किसानों को क्यों 60 हजार करोड़ रुपया देना पड़ा, हमें क्यों ऐसा करना पड़ता है? आजकल किसान को रेट बहुत अच्छा मिलता है, उससे किसान बहुत खुश हैं, लेकिन उससे कई लोग नाराज हैं कि गेहूं का हजार रुपये भाव हो गया। आप किसान को पानी मुफ्त दो, आप किसान को खाद मुफ्त दो, आप किसान को दवाई मुफ्त दो तो हमें फिर आपकी मदद की कोई जरूरत नहीं है। आप सब सुविधा दो तो हमें आपका एक पैसा नहीं चाहिए, इस तरह से हमें ऋण भी नहीं लेना पड़ेगा। देश में ऐसी परिस्थिति का निर्माण करना है, ऐसा हमें होना चाहिए।

          पंडित जवाहर लाल नेहरू जी ने कहा था कि सोशलिस्टिक पैटर्न करके हम समाजवाद लाएंगे, लेकिन आज एक होटल वाले की, उद्योगपति की आप मदद कर रहे हैं। ये होटल वाले, जो बड़े हैं, तगड़े हैं, उनको आप और तगड़ा कर रहे हैं। हमें क्या करना है? जब तक गरीब लोगों के बारे में हम नहीं सोचेंगे,  आज किसानों की, आज गांवों में हरिजनों की क्या स्थिति है, गांवों में गरीब लोगों की क्या स्थिति है, जब तक उनकी स्थिति सुधरेगी नहीं, तब तक हमारी आजादी बेकार है, इस आजादी का कोई अर्थ नहीं है। सारे लोग अच्छी तरह से जी सकें, आज ऐसी व्यवस्था होनी चाहिए। आज हमारा कानून या परिस्थिति ऐसी है कि कलैक्टर का लड़का कलैक्टर बनेगा, चपरासी का लड़का चपरासी बनेगा, क्या करेगा। एक आदमी बीमार है तो वह कहां जायेगा। डाक्टर बोलेगा, दो लाख रुपये ऑपरेशन का लगेगा तो उसको मरना होगा, वह पैसा कहां से लाएगा। जिसके पास पैसा है, वह जिएगा। देश की सरकार का फर्ज है कि एक आदमी को भी कोई तकलीफ नहीं हो, हर चीज की सुविधा हो, ऐसा बजट होना चाहिए, जिससे हमारे देश में हर आदमी को सुख-सुविधा मिले और कोई खराब परिस्थिति पैदा न हो। राष्ट्रपति का बच्चा जैसे पढ़ता है, उसी तरह की पढ़ाई हर गरीब आदमी के बच्चे को पढ़नी चाहिए। धीरूभाई अम्बानी और राष्ट्रपति जी के लड़के को जैसी आरोग्य की सुविधा मिलती है, ऐसी ही गरीब से गरीब आदमी को मिलनी चाहिए। जब तक हर चीज में ऐसा नहीं होगा, तब तक हमारे लिए आजादी नहीं है। हम क्या करते हैं, हमारी पढ़ाई कैसी है, पढ़ाई से हम कैसे लोग पैदा करते हैं जो कबूतरबाजी करने वाले निकलते हैं, हमारी पढ़ाई कैसी है, हम देश में क्या करेंगे, क्या काम बढ़ाएंगे, ऐसी बात देश में नहीं चलेगी।

सभापति महोदया : आप फाइनेंस बिल पर बात करिये।

श्री हरिसिंह चावड़ा : महोदया, फाइनेंस बिल की नींव यह है। जब तक हम यह नहीं सोचेंगे, हम यह तय नहीं करेंगे, तब तक काम नहीं चलेगा। आज व्यसन क्यों नहीं हो, उसके लिए हम प्रतिबन्ध डालते हैं, जो गुटखा वगैरह फैक्टरी में बनता है, उसकी फैक्टरी बन्द कर दो, शराब की फैक्टरी बन्द कर दो तो सब अच्छा होगा। इसीलिए मैं कहता हूं कि ऐसा हमारा प्रावधान होना चाहिए, ऐसा हमारा शासन होना चाहिए, जिससे गरीब से गरीब आदमी भी सुखी हो।

                                                                                                 

MADAM CHAIRMAN : The time is 6.30 PM now.  One more speaker is there.  Can we extend the time by five minutes? So, he is our last speaker now – Shri Tufani Saroj. 

 

श्री तूफानी सरोज (सैदपुर) : माननीय वित्त मंत्री जी ने जो बजट पेश किया है और किसानों के लिए कर्जमाफी की घोषणा करके यूपीए ने पूरे देश में ढिंढोरा पीटने का काम किया, लेकिन कर्जमाफी का फायदा कितने किसानों को मिलेगा और कितने किसान इसका फायदा नहीं उठा पाएंगे, यह भविष्य में पता चलेगा।  बजट में किसानों की जो मूल समस्या है, आज नहीं कई बार उस पर इस सदन में चर्चा हुयी है।  किसान बार-बार आत्महत्या कर रहा है।  वह ऐसा क्यों कर रहा है - इसलिए कि किसान को उसकी उपज का उचित मूल्य नहीं मिल रहा है।  उसे प्रति क्विंटल गेहूं पैदा करने के लिए सात सौ रूपए खर्च करने पड़ रहे हैं। उसे पचास प्रतिशत का भी फायदा नहीं मिल रहा है।  पचास प्रतिशत प्राफिट लेने के लिए, कम से कम किसानों को गेहूं और धान दोनों के लिए, सरकार को चौदह सौ से पन्द्रह सौ रूपए प्रति क्विंटल समर्थन मूल्य घोषित करना चाहिए।  आज किसान खेती करने से कतरा रहा है। वह इससे परहेज कर रहा है।

          महोदया, जिस किसान के पास बीस एकड़ जमीन है, आज गांव में जाइए, उनके बच्चों से कोई शादी नहीं कर रहा है। छोटा-मोटा कारोबार करने वाले के यहां लोग शादी करना पसंद कर रहे हैं, लेकिन जिसके पास बीस एकड़ जमीन है, उस किसान के बेटे की शादी नहीं हो रही है। सरकार ने इस तरफ ध्यान नहीं दिया कि हमारे किसान को उपज का समर्थन मूल्य क्या मिलना चाहिए, जिससे लोग खेती की तरफ अग्रसरित हों। देश का विकास खेत-खलिहान से होकर गुजरता है, हमें इस बात को सोचना चाहिए। जब खेत-खलिहान में काम करने वाला किसान मजबूत होगा, तभी देश मजबूत होगा।

          किसी तरह अपनी कमाई से जोड़-तोड़कर किसान अपने रहने के लिए छत की व्यवस्था करता था।  चार महीने पहले सत्ताईस सौ रूपए प्रति क्विंटल लोहे का भाव था, आज वह चार हजार आठ सौ से पांच हजार रूपए हो गया है। इसमें गिरावट का कोई नामोनिशान नहीं है। किसान आज अपने लिए घर भी नहीं बना पा रहा है।  यह समस्या किसान के सामने है।

सभापति महोदया : फाइनेंस मिनिस्ट क्या करें, उसे आप प्वाइंट्स में बता दीजिए।

श्री तूफानी सरोज  :  वित्तमंत्री यह करें कि लोहे के दाम कम करें।  चार महीने पहले जो सत्ताईस सौ रूपए था, उसके बढ़े हुए दाम को कम करें।  किसानों की उपज के लिए कम से कम दो हजार रूपए गेहूं और धान का उचित मूल्य दें, जिससे किसान खेती करने के प्रति इंट्रेस्टेड हो, वह इससे परहेज न करे और खेती करे।  जब किसान खेती करेगा, तभी देश की समस्या का हल होगा, नहीं तो समस्या बढ़ती जाएगी। 

          इन्हीं शब्दों के साथ आपने मुझे बोलने के लिए समय दिया, मैं अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं,   MADAM CHAIRMAN: Now the discussion on the Finance Bill is over and the Finance Minister will reply tomorrow. The House stands adjourned to meet tomorrow at 11.00 am.

18.33 hrs. The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven of the Clock on[r75] Tuesday, April 29, 2008/Vaisakha 9, 1930 (Saka).        

                                       

 [a1]cd. by c1.e Cd by d1 [R2]  [MSOffice3]Followed by e1 Fld by f1 [p4]  [r5]fld by g Fd. by h1 [r6] Please leave 3 pages for Q. 481 and Answer [H7] cd. by j1  [H8] Shri Sharad Pawar ctd [r9] Fd.by k [R10] Fd by L [r11] cd. [R12] Cd by n1 [r13] Cd by p1 [KMR14] Fd by q [r15]  [r16](Cd. b7y r1)   cd. by s [R17] cd. by  [MSOffice18] Contd. By  W1   [MSOffice19] cd. by x1.e [a20] Cd by y1 [R21] Followed by z1 [MSOffice22]  [r23]ctd by b2 cd. by c2 [r24] cd. by d2 [H25] Contd by e2.e [r26] Ctd. By d [m27]2 Contd by G2 [SS28] cd.. by h2 [r29] Cd by j2  [N30]  Cd by k2 [MSOffice31] cd. by l2.h [R32] cd. by m2 [R33] Cd by N2 [r34] cd. [R35] Contd. By  P2    [MSOffice36] cd. by q2.e [a37] Cd by r2 [R38] Cotd by s2 [MSOffice39]  [R40](Cd. by t2)  [r41]prabhu ctd cd. by w2  Cd by x2 [MSOffice43] cd. by y2.h [R44] cd.by z2 [R45] Fd by A3 [r46]  [R47]cd.

 [r48]Sh Ram Kirpal Yadav cd (cd. by d3) [b49] E3cd    [r51](Cd. by Shri Ram Kripal Yadav)    [r52](Cd. by f3)   Cont by h3.h [p53] Contd. By  J3   [MSOffice54] cd. by k3.e [a55]  [R56](Cd. byn3)  [r57]naveen ctd  [r58]fld by o3 Cd by p3 [r59] cd. by q3 [H60] Contd by r3.e [r61] Ctd. By s3 [m62] Contd by T3 [SS63] cd.. by u3 [r64]  [KMR65]Cd by w3  Cd by w3 [MSOffice66] cd. by y3.h [R67] cd. by ‘z3 [R68] fd. by a4 [R69] Contd. By b4.e [R70] cd. b y c4 [MSOffice71] Contd. By  D4   [MSOffice72] C4cd  [s73]  [r74](Cd. by f4)  [r75] Friday, March 10, 2000/Phalguna 20, 1921 (Saka).