The PCB – and Does it impact???

Well as the header suggests, I am sure you are wondering what PCB stands for? Well let me clear the air… If you think PCB is Printed Circuit Board which is used in electronic equipments ranging from mobile phones to computers, this is not about them. The abbreviation PCB here means the “Palaniappan Chidambaram Budget”. While some may call it a Pro-Voter budget and some others call it a divine gift to the nation, some also term it as a huge financial failure. Put together Mr. PC has overall done well to please the people who matter the most to his existence, the poor of this country.

Mr. PC was very sure of what he was doing. He must have got very clear instructions from the High Command that his budget would write the script for next five years of congress’ future. And he did exactly what the doctor (I wonder when she passed out her MBBS) ordered. But, pause for a while and think… Does the highly politicised budget of this country actually affect you?? Well if you are able to read this… IT DOESN’T.

Yes he increased the threshold limit for the Taxpayer. So what?? Did we not increase our earnings over the last year?? By the time we pay tax according to the new limits, either him or another finance minister would have announced another high profile pro-poor, pro-voter budget. And after all where does the government earn all its revenues from?? From those who were let off a whopping INR 6,000,000,000,000… Difficult to count the number is it?? That is INR 600 Billions. That is Rs. 600 out of every Indian’s pocket. Oh yes, I know the farmers are committing suicide... My fault??

The cars became cheap. Where is the road to drive them? The women will pay less tax. Where is the opportunity to earn…? Let alone paying tax. I will pay less tax… No I will pay the same tax because my salary has been increased thanks to the Bull Run in the economy market. And what did the guys who made the dream of India INC. come true get?? 5% extra tax on their short term gains. Where does that go? To more farmers who are committing suicide.

And the best catch out of this will come some days later. The farmers in the congress run states will get the major share of that whopping figure (I have no patience to write that again). How much money will go to Gujarat and Rajasthan? Good question to find an answer to. Those are opposition ruled states. They don’t get much.

The businessmen of this country have given about the same contribution to India’s growth that a farmer has. But this is one creed that has never got it due credit. The best entrepreneur award does not boost the economy. Sops do. But they are reserved for the illiterates and farmers and beggars and poor and other people who are classified in the “aam aadmi” category. Businessmen are rich and they only deserve to pay tax and more tax and more tax, until they become “aam aadmi”. Then they too will get the sops.

Who is at the fault? Mr. PC? No, not at all. He is doing the best he can do in the best interest of his party. The real culprits are us. Yes, you, me and all others who are sitting in their AC cabins. We did not go out in the burning sun in the summer of 2004 to cast our vote (I did, but one can only make that much difference). The ones who did are reaping the benefits. The BJP and specially the TDP government here in AP did all it could to lift people like me and you to greater heights. They facilitated the growth of today’s India Inc. And what happened? The people that they worked for preferred to stay indoors in the cosy environments of their offices and alas! THEY LOST!! Had the BJP at centre and TDP at the state level made the same efforts for the poor people, they would have been in power till today. But I would have not been writing this article because I wouldn’t afford a computer.

Now what is the way out? It’s not very difficult. The tax paying community of the country should put its head together and elect a government that works for them. It may even be the congress. But they should also be made to understand that we can uproot you if you do not work for us. And to prove that we have to do just that… Once… And only then will the real India Shining come true.