Jodhpur by Zeynap Kanra
Last week (10 July 2014), Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, presented the Union Budget 2014 to the Indian Parliament.
A controversial announcement in this years budget has been the allocation of Rs 200 crore for a giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.
Along with the expected audience of businesses and markets, the budget was closely followed by house wives, the working class and senior citizens as its provisions were expected to closely affect all Indians.
https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/budget-2014-15–impact-on-women–girls-102123874.html
A welcome focus of this year’s budget has been on women and women’s issues, as seen below:*
- Women Safety: Rs 150 crore – Rs 50 crore for the safety of women in public transport
- Women’s Welfare: Rs 100 crore
- Healthcare: Rs 100 crore for ‘Beti Bachao, betipadhav yojana’, an organization to protect the girl child and her future
- Easy loan terms: The government will offer concessional loans to women in rural India at 4% in some districts and 7% in others
- Drinking water and sanitation: The government is aiming to provide toilets and drinking water in all girls schools
- New small savings scheme: special national savings certificates and instruments for parents to invest in name of girl child (*source:https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/budget-2014-15–impact-on-women–girls-102123874.html )
A controversial announcement in this years budget has been the allocation of Rs 200 crore for a giant statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat. This announcement is coming under intense criticism as it is more than what has been apportioned for women’s safety (Rs 150 crore) and women’s welfare (Rs 100 crore). This move was rated “most disliked” on a poll on NDTV’s website. Critics are saying the structure is an indulgence in a nation where 400 million people live in poverty.
