My belated reaction/ article- Friday, 02 February 2018.

The Union Budget-2018
The glass is half full, devil lies in implementation!

We had been reading, listening to the typical words like 'pro-people', 'pro-poor' etc. for a long time since we grew up.

In my career of about 34 years as a working journalist, I have witnessed several budgets, many of them not understanding the real story behind them.

This time around, after retiring from the job of a journalist (which involved only carrying out orders from the higher-ups, translating news/reactions on the budgets as per the orders), looking at the budget is certainly from a distance, to take a bird's eye view, without prejudice and without any political affiliations. I have witnessed that impartiality in journalism is just a big illusion! The reason behind this is obvious. Every newspaper, and now news channels added to the media, have their own (of owner's/promoter's) agenda, their own specific (vested) interests.

But, the situation has changed drastically after advent of some news channels who have brought in a new trend: 'aggressive questioning journalism' without sparing anybody, any political group or party, demanding straight answers to straight questions, many times asking attacking questions. 

Let us turn to The Budget- 2018. This time around, the Budget-2018 really looks pro-poor, pro-rural. Obviously, it is not

pro-rich as it focuses on job creation and providing health services to the poor at no or negligible cost. The focus is on rural India and rural poor mainly with Rs. 58,080 crore allocated for BHARAT, the Minimum support price for kharif to be fixed at minimum 50 % higher than cost of production etc.

There is no point in mentioning all details here as entire budget details are available freely now.

My point is, whatever we eat (and drink) in the comfort of our homes or outside, is basically due to agriculture and if agriculture is not protected, nurtured, developed, our crisis will not remain confined to agrarian crisis only, but spread like wildfire and turn into national crisis. I think, the government has addressed this well.

  Investors, rich, city consumers are going to be taxed for welfare spend. Long term capital gains tax is back with a 10 per cent tax rate, so the investors who make money through speculation will have to part with 10 per cent of their speculative profit. As the government is firm on 'Make in India', imported phones, LED panels, beauty care products and other items will become costlier due to higher import duty. The salaried class/ middle class have been asked to bear with the government for the time being and are left without any sops. The government is kind with senior citizens (like me!) by raising income tax exemption limit to Rs. 50,000 for interest income from Rs. 10,000. Senior citizens (barring the lucky, old retired government employees who are getting index-linked pension) have to depend upon interest income for their living.

In all, looking at Budget-2018, the glass is half full and half empty. The half empty glass points to the rising oil import bill, the ever rising prices of crude oil in international markets. India has to import about 80 per cent of it's crude oil requirements and still is not able to be self-reliant in oil production despite 70 years of independence. The reasons behind this include ever rising demand for fuels due to increasing number of automobile vehicles. When fuel prices rise, they directly impact prices of essential commodities. Transport of all essential commodities, all other goods turn dearer and prices of all such goods naturally go up in effect. THIS AFFECTS THE COMMON MAN WITH HIGHER, PINCHING INFLATION.

So, the challenges before nation are tremendous and scary, but one thing seems to be clear. That is, the intent and political will (or determination of the government) to take them on is there. (We had been reading, listening these words- ''political will'' since our studenthood. Those were empty words  being hammered on us!)

In a democracy, the job of the opposition is to oppose the government's policies (supposedly, which the opposition finds wrong). It is the people (the voters) of the country who decide in the elections on who is right and who is wrong. So, let us leave it to the voters of the country for the 2019 general elections.

For me, the glass is half full and there is a ray of hope. But, the glass is half empty too as the devil lies in implementation! Despite this, let us be die-hard optimists!