The Head of Department of School of Management (SOM) in Doon University, H C Purohit has said that to give a boost to the economy of a state like Uttarakhand where more than 80 percent of agriculturists belong to the category of small and marginal farmers, the government should link the social security scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) with farming.
Talking to the Pioneer he said that the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman should include this aspect in the union budget as it involves no additional allocation. “If the rural folks get money from MNREGS for farming their own land then they would readily accept farming. It would remove reluctance that has set in a state like Uttarakhand and bring back the farmers to their fields. It would also reduce the migration as it result in augmenting the income of the farmers.
This can be done in north eastern states and mountainous state like Uttarakhand,’’ he opined. Purohit added that in respect to a state like Uttarakhand, the budget should focus on promoting aromatic, medicinal plants and herbs. He said that the pandemic of Covid-19 has underlined the importance of Ayurveda and by formulating policies and making budgetary allocations, the opportunities in the sector can be capitalised.
He said that the water management techniques should be promoted in a state like Uttarakhand and drip and sprinkler systems should be installed for modern methods of irrigation. Purohit said that the focus of the budget should be on infrastructure development so that industrial demand is created and new jobs are generated.
He opined that the economy hit by pandemic would get a boost if appropriate measures to control inflation and revenue generation are adopted in a budget which is primarily growth centric. The prices of the petroleum should be controlled by bringing down the tax as it would control prices. Purohit added that focus on construction of roads, air strips, bridges and train route which the present government is doing in Uttarakhand should continue as it would result in tourism development and creation of new jobs in the State.
