Budget 2016 pays heed to concerns of RSS, offers sops to Dalit entrepreneurs

NEW DELHI: The budget pays heed to several concerns of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) such as swadeshi, cow protection, promotion of the Ek Bharat-Shreshta Bharat programme and clean energy besides healthcare sops for the poor and a boost for small-scale industries.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget has also catered to the challenges faced by Dalit entrepreneurs and others by providing incentives in startups and under the Stand-up India scheme.

The RSS imprint on the budget was very visible. The government’s statement that the overall emphasis of the budget was the welfare of farmers and the poor adheres to the main concerns of the RSS.

Three hundred rural-urban’ clusters will be developed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission. These will help provide infrastructure amenities and market access to farmers and expand job opportunities.

Though the budget does not make any mention of cow protection, four new dairy projects were announced in the budget. A total of Rs 850 crore has been allocated for Pashudhan Sanjivani, under which animal health cards will be issued, promoting advanced breeding technology, setting up the E-Pashudhan Haat and a National Genomic Centre for indigenous breeds.

The RSS should also be pleased with initiatives proposed to be taken in the healthcare sector, especially for the poor in rural areas. The National Dialysis Services Programme and providing cheap medicines under Jan Aushadhi Yojana have been welcomed.