Why I am mentioning this political aspects is that it has made this Budget a bureaucratic Budget, a worst Budget. When the political leadership is an authority, when the Planning Commission is in authority, there are certain social and economic priorities which are taken into account while formulating the Budget. Today; we find that there is neither the Planning Commission nor the political leadership of the state Government. The State bureaucrats come to Delhi under instructions from another group of bureaucrats. They sit with other bureaucrats in Delhi, take some view and what is formulated as a Budget, is placed before us.
I would like to ask the hon. Finance Minister : What are your priorities after such an important election result? Are you still only concerned with your domestic intrigues of a political nature? Don’t you think what the socio-economic problems have got a higher priority for your consideration? How would you consider socio-economic problems when you have not got the properly constituted Planning Commission functioning. Two months have passed but there is no Planning Commission. We were ridiculing the Janata Party for the rolling plan concept. But now the whole plan text seems to have been rolled up, and there is nobody to guide the 9 States, whose budgets are prepared for one year for all practical purposes. Though it may be a Vote on Account for some months, once the framework is laid down, it is very difficult to make important changes in the budget later on. Therefore, I feel this Government must sit down and seriously consider what are their priorities. The socio-economic problems should get priority.
We just now had a row in the House about harijan houses being burnt or their being beaten mercilessly. We have the problem of prices. For instance, in Maharashtra, there is an agitation going on about onion prices, which have fallen steeply, and the Government agency which was expected to purchase it is non-cooperating by refusing to purchase it. There was police attack on these people and hundreds of people have gone to jail. I am just mentioning one instance. When these problems are exercising the minds of the people, how can you say that these are not your priorities. Therefore, first of all, please make up your mind about priorities. Instead of dissolving the state Assemblies, you should have done something better.
My main point is that when a party gets a mandate of this nature, that party should not seek a confrontation. I can understand an opposition party trying to seek confrontation. But here I find that the Government itself has started this confrontation in the country. What India needs today is some sort of reconciliation with the people. They have come out of the experience of an Emergency time; they have also come out of an experiences of unstable Government. I think the time has come when some thought should be given as to how to reconcile on the major issues. This cannot be done on political terms; it can be done only on the background of the solution of the socio-economic problems. Therefore, I would request the Finance Minister to advise the Prime Minister to give priority to the constitution of the Planning Commission. Since the House is sitting, we should know who are the members of the Planning Commission. While the Cabinet is important and Parliament is important, in the process of development Planning Commission is also a very important forum, and so we should know about its constitution early.