Modi’s formula for a people-centric Budget

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all 280 MPs of the BJP to spend a night in each Assembly constituency within their parliamentary segments to elicit grassroots responses for the formulation of a more “people-centric” Budget.

Speaking to MPs during the BJP’s weekly Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday, Modi suggested they fan out in their constituencies to get a better sense of area-specific demands and formulate Budget proposals accordingly.

The idea behind these consultations is apparently to widen the scope of pre-Budget consultations, which have so far remained restricted to domain experts and industry bodies, to general public and the RSS’ grassroots organisations as well as the BJP’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance.

For the purpose, the suggestion from the PM to each MP was to visit each Assembly constituency and hold one public meeting (Jan Sabha), interactive sessions with different segments (Jan Sampark) besides addressing a press conference.

The PM suggested that the MPs should invite members of different parties in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the various organisations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) besides local experts for such meetings.

He also clarified what constitutes “proposals” which the MPs are expected to send after these consultations.

“ Bhai log, Budget proposal ka matlab yeh nahin hai ki eik kuan khod do, yah eik sadak bana do (When I say come up with proposals for the Budget, I do not mean getting a well dug in a village or a road constructed),” a source quoted the PM telling the MPs.

He told the MPs that these exhaustive consultations with members of their constituencies should be followed by proper conceptualisation of the area-specific demands. Such conceptualisation, the PM reportedly said, has to factor in not just the local requirements but also the fundamental vision of the party and the organisation.

“ Budget ke liye maulik vicharon pe charcha kijiye aur sujhav bhejiye (Hold wide-ranging discussions on our fundamental ideas and send suggestions),” the PM reportedly told his party MPs.

The idea is, said a BJP source, to formulate a Budget which is “ Logon ki rai se, logon ke liye (A Budget by the people, for the people)”.