Living beyond our means

Morung Express Editorial 

When the last State general election came knocking, there was talk that BJP might come to power at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha election. So, if the NPF wins in the State and BJP at the Centre, some believed that money will start pouring in again. One reason which people believed to be the cause of our perennial budget deficit was that NPF government in the State and Congress government at the Centre are opposed to each other. So, Nagaland was never given enough money. The expectations of positive change came through with thumping victories for both NPF and BJP. But from the first State budget (2015-16) since the BJP took over at the Centre, it seems like the financial situation has not changed.  

What could be the reason that money has not poured in as expected? One reason could be the factional fight within NPF which led to induction of Congress legislators into the ruling coalition. Nagaland earned the status of being the only State where BJP and Congress came together to form the government. The situation which led to the coalition suggests that it was not the Naga national issue which joined the two together although that is the reason being projected. But by the infighting, we managed to create a situation which will not win the favor of any government at the Centre.

Another explanation could be that Nagaland is insignificant and whichever government takes over at the Centre, the funding would have remained the same and the budget deficit would have continued anyway. Ours is a small State and we neither have the numbers nor other resources to affect the Centre to look our way. We do have potentials but that is how things stand at the moment. 

Perhaps another reason could be some change in policy, where the BJP government has other priorities than caring for poorer States like Nagaland. Although I am not well versed on Niti-Aayog, it seems like the alternative to Planning Commission may adversely affect poorer States and States where there is poorer planning mechanism. Under the new central government, there has been budget cut in Health and Education and the effect of this has been felt. Is this a sign of the changes to come? In pursuit of a certain model of economic development, there is possibility of pursuing progress through a form of market capitalism which favors the multi-national companies and private players at the expense of social programs which favor the poor. During the earlier years of UPA, there was the MGNREGA and NRHM which were mega programs favoring the poor. But under Modi, except for appealing to give up LPG gas subsidy, promises of digitizing the nation and building smart cities, there is no innovative mega scheme or program for the majority poor.      

  

Every year, we hear of budget deficit of over a thousand crores. So, what are the plans to get rid of this deficit? The one thing we love to do is to go to Delhi with our traditional waist coats as begging bowls. One area which stood out from this year’s State budget is to increase taxes for revenue generation. But that will not be sufficient to cover up the deficit. Other major plans to increase revenue or pluck leakage were found missing. Instead, the budget session seems to have been dominated by discussions on the Naga political issue, which is being discussed over and over, in public forums, kitchen discussions and in the booze joints. Instead, the plight of our farmers from Pfutsero in Dimapur recently, their livelihood being affected by a syndicate run by unscrupulous agents in our own land, should have been a very hot topic of discussion, to cite an example. We keep on saying, ‘there is no fund’, ‘there is no fund’, yet we live like ‘high-profile beggars’. It is time to realize that we are living beyond our means, and we must start to think deep, plan and work hard to overcome the huge deficit.

Dr. Sao Tunyi works as an Epidemiologist at Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Kohima. Feedback can be sent to saotunni@yahoo.co.in, or visit his blog www.thatchhouse.blogspot.in