Think of the poor - Asianage

Sir, A wise man once said, "A healthy society is known by how it treats its less fortunate." Did the Union Budget take this thought into account (PC keeps status quo, March 1)? There is no question that for three successive years Indian economy has seen more than 7 per cent growth. It is also a fact that the Indian elite and the middle classes have made huge strides. But, lest we forget, India is essentially an agrarian economy. We still have millions of farmers who are completely dependent on the monsoons. Many parts of the country are yet to see proper irrigation systems. Though the money allocated for rural infrastructure development has increased significantly over the years, the allocated funds often fail to reach the grass roots and help the people who need that money the most. The developed countries have huge subsidies lined up for their farmers, and, therefore, their products are cheaper, whereas our farmers get a negligible subsidy and are unable to compete with outsiders. If India considers itself a growing economy at par with the developed economies, it cannot marginalise its rural population.

Yasmin Banu