THE Union Budget 2023-24 presented by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a Budget for the rich, prepared at the behest of the corporate cronies; it is against the interests of the farmers, the poor and toiling masses. It was high on rhetoric and hollow on actual allocations for agriculture and rural development. The BJP government has refused to implement the minimum support prices as per the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations of C2+50 per cent nor ensured legal guarantee for MSP, leading to increasing distress for farmers. This budget does nothing to mitigate the situation.

THE Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch states that for the adivasi communities across India the budget 2023-24 represents loot kaal not amrit kaal. According to official guidelines, the budgetary allocations for adivasi development under the Tribal Special Scheme (TSS) earlier known as Tribal Special Plan (TSP) should be proportionate to the adivasi population which, even going by the 2011 census is 8.6 per cent of the total population. Accordingly, budgetary allocations for adivasis should be 8.6 per cent of total budgetary expenditure.

THIS year’s budget has been no different as far as the disabled community is concerned. They continue to be condemned to the margins and neglected, high sounding rhetoric like “inclusive India” notwithstanding.In comparison to the previous year, there is merely a 1 per cent increase.

THOUSANDS of Anganwadi workers affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have been on strike in Karnataka since January 23, 2023. Their primary demand is to be classified as ‘teachers’. They have been sleeping in the open air at Freedom Park in Bengaluru since January 23and are determined to stay the course until their demands are met.Anganwadi centres were set up by the government in 1975 to combat child hunger and malnutrition. They are run by grassroots level workers who are responsible for feeding children as well as pregnant women.

AMONG the issues like price-hike, loss of livelihood, unemployment, absence of any services in healthcare, education, supply of safe drinking water, electricity and housing etc, most of which are very much acutely prevalent in the state, one core issue has emerged as a crying demand of all sections of people: whether voters of the state would have the opportunity to cast vote by themselves. The Election Commission of India has declared the election schedule to the legislative assemblies of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland on January 18, 2023.