K E R A L A M O N I T O R N E W S
SAFETY AND WELFARE OF INDIAN WORKERS IN IRAQ
DRUG ABUSE IN INDIA – A GRIM PICTURE INDEED
12:40 ISTThe just-released Report on Drug Abuse in India presents a very grim picture of the situation. The problem is varied, complex and widespread right from the lower level to the upper social strata cutting across the gender divide. The Report has underlined several key issues which need to be addressed urgently.
The Report says alcohol, cannabis, opium and heroin are the major drugs of abuse. The number of persons requiring treatment is large. Drug abuse is common both in rural and urban India. Injectible Drug Users(IDUs) have been reported from among both men and women. A large number of drug users indulged in unsafe sex practices. Many other high-risk behaviours were also reported.
The survey was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. According to the Report an accurate assessment of the drug problem can be obtained by using multiple indicators, data sources and methods.
In the area of prevention, the Report suggests the shifting of focus from total abstinence-oriented programmes to those which delay the onset of drug use among young people. It says instead of developing a broad approach towards large sections of the society, specific programmes targeting various at-risk groups need to be evolved. Preventive programmes based on information dissemination are rarely successful, especially if the approach depicts exaggerated risks associated with drug use in order to frighten people into abstinence. Propagating the hazards of drug abuse are not useful enough. As a result, the message often loses its impact. Sometimes it is even counterproductive. Research in this area has shown that a less sensational approach can be better. Modern preventive programmes should present accurate information and discuss the broad risk factors associated with drug abuse. Prevention of substance abuse may thus be embedded within the large framework of crime prevention as also safe and healthy life styles.
The data from the current survey do not enlist factors promoting or preventing drug abuse. The information obtained from users, compared with non-users, showed that the current users of various substances were largely illiterate, came from nuclear families and were unmarried by and large. The data from the other components showed that many drug users had close family members who were also drug users.
The Report speaks of various programmes to prevent drug abuse. These include a selective prevention programme targeting different sub-groups and specific packages targeting people who have already taken to drugs.
According to the Report an innovative approach involving improved problem-solving capacity may be useful to prevent the early onset of drug use. This can be done through an interactive or communicative approach with the drug users. A number of countries have incorporated these into their normal school curriculum. The Report also recommends that preventive programmes be carried out for non-student youth and in workplaces.
The term ‘treatment’ refers to a variety of activities and processes which aim at helping individuals with drug-related problems. These include self-recognition of substance-related problems. According to the Report outreach programmes, case management and motivational interaction may help in early treatment. The people by and large have also to be fully involved in this endeavour.
The programmes initiated to prevent drug abuse need to be monitored. Periodic evaluations are also necessary. Data collection on the treatment centres needs to be given priority.The survey enlists multiple indicators, methods and information obtained from different places to provide a holistic picture of the extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in the country. It says we must strive to remove the stigma attached to the drug abusers for their rehabilitation.
UNION BUDGET GIVES THRUST FOR GROWTH WITH EQUITY
S. Sethuraman*
16:31 ISTThe United Progressive Alliance(UPA) Government headed by Dr.Manmohan Singh is committed to advancing the welfare of the vast segment, mainly rural, of India’s population. It aims at tapping the potential for a rapid economic growth with equity through higher rural incomes, employment and effective delivery of basic services. These objectives are embodied in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) which, in effect, is a road map for what the Alliance Government wants to achieve in five years towards rapid growth with stability and equity.
The first Budget of the UPA Government, presented by the Finance Minister, Shri P.Chidambaram, to Parliament on July 8, 2004 taking NCMP as the "Guiding Light," seeks to place the country firmly on the path of sustained high growth and reforms with a "human face". The Budget for 2004-05 is thus unique inasmuch as it provides a clear focus on social priorities and investments, traditionally assumed to be a concomitant of higher economic growth through fiscal exercises. At the same time, Shri Chidambaram, with his reputation as a reformer, has not fallen short of expectations in pushing ahead with policies to promote investments and growth and ensure fiscal prudence and financial discipline. He has struck a fine balance in aiming at a 7 to 8 per cent growth while maintaining price stability and ensuring equitable distribution of the benefits of growth.
Highlights
Shri Chidambaram was under constraint in making an even bolder effort in terms of fiscal and other reforms and higher public investments. The current year has hardly eight months left and the work of operationalising the economic and social programmes to achieve the NCMP objectives with redefined priorities and revised expenditure patterns has just been taken up by the new Planning Commission chaired by Dr.Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
As a first step, the Budget provides for an addition of Rs.10,000 crore to the current year’s plan resources for the on-going programmes related to primary education, health, drinking water, mid-day meal for children, irrigation, food-for-work, and railway modernization and safety. Shri Chidambaram announced that the poor would have the first charge on the additional funds that would be provided. He extended the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, under which 35 kg of subsidized foodgrains are provided per family per month, to another half a million people to take the total coverage to 20 million. Pending the enactment of the law on National Employment Guarantee, there will be a new Food for Work programme in 150 districts classified as backward. Higher allocations have been provided for welfare schemes for the scheduled castes and tribes, minorities and self-help groups.
Given the objectives of universal access to quality basic education and health, gainful employment in agriculture, guarantee of 100 days of employment to the bread-winner in each family and focus on agriculture with crop diversification and agro-processing and infrastructure, the Finance Minister will have to come up with substantial investment thrusts in his future budgets, beginning 2005-06. Indeed, Shri Chidambaram has indicated that he would undertake major tax reforms in his next budget, given the Government’s commitment to increase revenues from direct taxes and excise duties.
The Budget has proposed a two per cent cess on income, corporate, customs and excise taxes to finance the scheme of universal basic education. This is expected to yield Rs.4,000 to 5,000 crore in a full year. His other significant revenue-raising measure is the extension of service tax to thirteen more services including road transport of goods to the existing 58 raising the rate of tax to 10 per cent from 8 per cent. Bbut it would not apply to truck owners or operators.
In the area of direct taxes, there is no significant resource mobilization beyond an estimated Rs.2000 crore but by way of relief, persons with taxable income of upto Rs.one lakh a year would not have to pay tax. This should benefit some 14 million assessees. Tax benefits have been extended to new agro-processing units, new rural hospitals and for some manufacturing segments like automobiles and the power and shipping sectors.
Concessions
Many of the tax concessions are in line with the Government’s policy of promoting larger investments in agriculture, both public and private. Excise exemptions have been given for tractors and agricultural implements and tools. The Government has already announced that credit for agriculture would be doubled within three years through banks and cooperatives. The Budget makes adequate provisions for accelerating the completion of some of the ongoing irrigation projects by March 2005 and for strengthening the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund.
A noteworthy aspect is the Finance Minister’s decision to launch a massive scheme to repair, renovate and restore about half a million water bodies like lakes, tanks and ponds used for irrigation. Many of them have fallen into disuse. Pilot projects would be undertaken in the current year. Drinking water and rural housing schemes also get a boost in the Budget. Provision for farm and livestock insurance and improving agricultural markets have also been envisaged.
Growth Target
The Government attaches great importance to expansion of industry and infrastructure besides agriculture in order to maintain a 7 to 8 per cent growth for a sustained period, generate employment as also to achieving fiscal consolidation. There is an increase of more than Rs.13,000 crore on revenue expenditure on plan and a welcome rise of about Rs.10,000 crore on the capital expenditure. The Budget, however, assumes a large growth in revenues from a higher GDP growth sustained by increased production in agriculture and the marked improvement in industrial production along with continued buoyancy in services.
As an earnest of the Government’s commitment to fiscal prudence, Shri Chidamabaram has lowered revenue deficit to 2.5 per cent of GDP as against 3.5 per cent in 2003-04 and the fiscal deficit at 4.4 per cent of the estimated GDP.
To promote private investments, domestic and foreign alike, the Finance Minister is setting up an Investment Commission, the first of its kind to woo investors. He also proposes to raise the equity cap for foreign domestic investment in telecommunications to 74 per cent. The equity cap for civil aviation and insurance is 49 per cent each. He also announced incentives for foreign institutional investors (FIIs) which included procedural simplifications and a higher investment ceiling of 1.75 billion dollars in debt funds. The long-term capital gains tax has been abolished while the short-term capital gains tax on securities has been cut to 10 per cent. A small 0.15 per cent tax on the value of transacted securities has been introduced. Shri Chidambaram said this was in response to demands from the stock market players.
The Budget has not revised the interest rate structure except that senior citizens would get 9 per cent on saving bonds against the 8 per cent for PPF, GPG and other schemes. Interest rate on Central loans to the States has also been reduced to 9 per cent from this year. The budget makes a larger devolution of Central taxes to the States this year. By extending the debt swap scheme it also empowers the States financially. Shri Chidambaram hoped that the States would follow fiscal prudence and financial discipline.
Fiscal 2005 has started with strong economic fundamentals with an 8.1 per cent growth in 2003-04, inflation at 5 per cent and foreign exchange reserves at over 118 billion dollars by early July. If the monsoon proves faithful, the ongoing strong recovery in industry and rising exports would complement an agricultural upswing to enable the country record a second year of around 8 per cent growth. The Government is alert on the inflation front, said Shri Chidambaram taking note of the pressures on prices, mainly from the higher international costs of oil.
The Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh, has commended the Budget as one which seeks "to translate the vision of combining rapid economic growth with faster progress on the road to social equality".
*Freelance Writer