Suppose I am a middle-class employee drawing less than decent salary.You can see I don’t understand very well the current budget presented by our Chidambaram Saheb.

I have seen budgets in my time. They used to be different with lot of masala, like hike in cigarettes, perfumes, etc. with a sprinkling of some levy on select categories. Those times we used to overstock our essential commodities at home, say cooking oil. We used to fill the tanks of our scooters with petrol on the day before budget. We used to speculate in our office canteen on the future prices of things dear to us like nut powder, cigarettes, drinks, etc. Our women folk too check the gas cylinders to see whether they are full.

Thanks to TV and its sensationalizing/sensitizing on the topical issues, we have become experts of sorts, though we have not graduated in the B-schools that teach finance. My wife now tells me about inflation. She says it is nothing but too much cash chasing too little goods available in the country. But I have my own doubts. Inflation is always there-- as humans we always keep No.2 accounts. Right? 
The Government sees only one account. They don’t even look into the pockets of the ministers close by. Then the figures and facts must be just hogwash. But I agree there should be something to work on for the planning to go ahead. At micro level, say, in my family, we don’t maintain accounts even; we neither have long term plans, leave alone short term ones, nor for tomorrow. But we balance somehow. Touch wood. God is great..

Our nation, I feel, has one of the largest amounts of unaccounted money that talks and walks freely in the lanes and by-lanes, not excluding the checkered corridors of assemblies and parliament. Somebody should foretell the growth rate of that account too. To me it grows in geometrical a proportion that beats arithmetic. I have in my own neighborhood the real estate price showing a steady rise in geometrical proportions over the years. Just to give you an example of growth rate. I also heard the secretary of Ministry of Finance talk on TV. He has the accent of some American University-- must have specialized in economics. I heard of a quote that says don’t leave politics to the politicians and economics to the economists. He talked on the day of the budget about health, education, small farmers and their indebtedness. Like him, I know how difficult it is to get a bank loan. Only rich and Number 1 account people can get the loan in the financial centers despite their having their own resources. Here I wished MOF considered general relief like amnesty for the farmers from all the creditors including the pawn-brokers and merchants who give loans to them at the usurious rates. Those poor farmers who till the land for their absentee land lords don’t get any relief. But you know the populist budget is intended for the votes of all these benaami holders. Then why else madam met farmers just before the budget. The same madam refused to give audience to the senior politicians hailing from our parts in Andhra Pradesh. She doesn’t know the real targets who vote for the party and that the supposed soft targets vote as for the ruling price (you know what) on the day of Elections. Coming to the poor banks, they somehow get their assets recouped in due course (their loans disbursed): you see by the time they have already lost on their share prices. I am a sufferer for one, I still hold on to some of them shares.

Another thing I don’t understand about the budget is the deficit part. When the railways are getting huge surpluses year in and year out, should the nation as a whole be far behind. The current account vala must, I think, be the culprit, like the current account I see in our nearby bank that attracts no interest. Entire NRI worker send their entire earnings back to the home, and apparently, i.e. to my little knowledge, the government does not know what to do with that. Anther thing I also don’t understand is this non-plan expenditure. When everything is non-plan in India, where the trouble lies is my innocent question. The politicians have no time in the coming year to utilize the funds to the optimum and get the desired results. They see just their names on the foundations plaques of various schemes and wait eagerly for their return in the next year elections.

One thing I am happy though. My children can now get their meals free despite passing their primary education. Now I ask them to study well so that they can go to the Middle schools and still get their lunch free. Who said you don’t get free lunch. By the way, I am happy that I don’t have to pay my income tax next year. Let me wait for the next budget so that I may have the chance not to pay my housing loan even. Well. Then I can say truly Chak de Mr.Chidambaram, or powers whoever that might be at the helm as Vitta Mantriji next time around.