IN election season, when political parties are seen to be making promises that would involve a commitment to governments making expenditures later, a question is often posed whether the country can afford such a ‘burden’. Those who pick this specific criticism among the several possible reasons that could be advanced against what is being offered, of course, are not in favour of any significant stepping up of public expenditures and effectively assume that the resources that the government can command are not amenable to increase.

WHILE the BJP manifesto had claimed that it will link MGNREGS to agriculture, nothing has happened to strengthen and expand it. No increase in MGNREGS allocation has been made even in the latest Budget. Rs 55,000 crore allotted is exactly the same as the revised estimate for 2017-18. Even by conservative estimates, more than Rs 80,000 crores will be required for the proper implementation of the programme. This callous attitude is despite the fact that over 56 per cent of wages were pending and more than 15 per cent of wage seekers did not find any work in 2016-17.

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Front candidates have been elected to the AP state legislative council in the biennial elections held on March 22. KS Lakshmana Rao from Krishna Guntur district graduates’ constituency and I Venkateswara Rao from Godavari districts graduates’ constituency scored impressive victory. They defeated corporate education barons and their representatives. It’s a welcome feature that wide spread discussion has taken place among the teachers, employees and youth against corporatisation of education and health.

WHILE the media in Bengal is desperate to frame a Modi-Mamata binary, the Left parties are breaking new grounds with intensive campaign. As the campaign gained momentum, it is amply clear that there is deep resentment, even anger, against TMC government amongst the people. The eight years of stagnation of economy, deep agricultural crisis, lack of jobs and loot by ruling class leaders at every level has sharpened anti-TMC mood.

ON April 1, 2019, the ministry of finance issued a statement announcing the GST collections for March 2019, the last month of the financial year 2018-19. The statement celebrated what was supposed to be the highest monthly collection since the introduction of GST – Rs 1,06,577 crores. What was, however, left out of the picture was what this collection put the final seal on – namely, that GST revenues for 2018-19 are well below the figure projected even in the revised estimates (RE) presented in the union budget 2019-20 on February 1, 2019.