Will the upcoming general budget, for 2010-11, reflect people’s needs? Will the budget translate the Congress-led government's proclaimed vision of inclusive growth into reality? Will there be enhanced accountability and commitment towards various schemes for the upliftment of the backward sections? And will the government increase allocation for its flagship schemes in health and education?

The Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CGBA) and Oxfam India raised these issues in Delhi on Wednesday while releasing a report on the expectations from the budget.

“The government had promised a hike in the public spending on education to 6 percent but it continues to remain at a low of 3.37 percent of the GDP,” the report points out, “The plan allocations earmarked for SCs and STs have been far below the norms of 16 percent and 8 percent.”

Stressing that the poor people’s voice needs to be heard, Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India said, “The government always listens to the industry leaders, but it is time the poor people are heard.” She said the ministries are not monitoring the schemes properly, which leads to the gross mismanagement.

The success rate of the government’s flagship programmes, such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is lamentable, argued Yamini Mishra, Executive Director of CBGA. Mishra also added that the UPA government has not upgraded district health facilities despite promising it in its election manifesto. The funds allocated to the district hospital have also been reduced to Rs 36 crore in 2009-10 from Rs 68 cr in 2008-09, she said.

“Why is the government so reluctant when it is committed to uplift the social services,” asked Praveen Jha of the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU. He said the ruling elites have systematically distanced themselves from the masses. “The government has been behaving like a zamindar, which is matter of great concern. They have systemically destroyed institutions in health and education,” said Jha. He said instead of blaming the states they should be given freedom to devise the programmes and implement them.