While working with people on rights-based development approach, many NGOs and activists, who have been working on the socio-economic issues, have experienced that the laws and policies of the country affect the cross-section of the population—in many cases by providing more facilities to a privileged few on the one hand and by curtailing the basic provisions of the unprivileged ones on the other, and, thus, by widening the gap between the two.
In the recent years, NGOs who work with the poor have feared that the government
policies of privatisation would cause hardship when the government pulled back
from health, education, food security, environmental protection etc. Liberalisation,
privatisation, and globalisation policies, it was feared, would influence economy, society and
culture. Liberal policies would make the rich richer and the poor poorer through the opening up of the
home market to the multinationals as well as by inviting dismal competition between the stronger and weaker sections. Such policies have the core idea of withdrawing the spirit of supporting and protecting the relatively weaker section and helping grow an unbalanced socio-economic structure. In the last 15 years, this fear has been proved to be true if we look at the trends of many of the socio-economic development indicators, e.g. health, education, the condition of women and children, tribal community, marginal farmers, village industrial sector, urban small entrepreneurs etc.
Some advocates of the principles of globalisation do not subscribe to this view. According to them, the hardship that the poor have been facing is mainly due to lack of their fitness into the competitive environment and, at the same time, the advocates of globalisation principle ignore the need for any kind of egalitarian policy approach for the balanced socio-economic development since such approach stands on the way of capital accumulation that takes place through competition among different economic agents. It is true that the poor unskilled people are misfit in the competitive world. But a democracy ought not to ignore a large number of poor people and formulate a policy for a privileged few, because the poor people send the maximum number of legislators to the Assemblies and Parliament in a developing country like India, on the one hand, and the legislators and their political parties commit several promises for the development of the Poor during their election campaign and before coming to power, on the other. So, the policy and the subsequent budget of the government should reflect an egalitarian approach so that the interests of the low-income, deprived and marginalized people, i.e. the majority of the population, are well protected through the policies and budgetary allocations of the government. Moreover, there is a need to monitor whether or not the poor people are receiving the fruits of budgetary allocations. And it is at this point that the study of the Budget Analysis becomes important. Analysis of budgets in the light of the policy statements and comparison between budget estimate and actual expenditure may shed lights on the reasons for the deteriorating social and economic condition of the Poor.
Budget analysis, when added to field data and case-study materials, strengthens advocacy and lobbying work. Hence this Budget Analysis Centre intends to study the Rajasthan State Budget by interacting with the NGOs and activists who are working in the field. In addition, the Centre intends to collect primary data directly from the field for its micro studies. We believe that when the secondary data on budget—analysed by the Centre—would be combined with the field data about employment, food security, health facilities, and other “life and death” matters, they would be able to strengthen the lobbying work because the results of our studies would finally be combined with people’s voices for reaching both the voters and elected representatives who are playing important roles in our democratic process. Thus, budget analysis would strengthen People’s Action.
The Vision
The vision of the Centre is to build greater confidence among the activist-NGOs and others in sorting out what all the big numbers in the Budget mean so that they can play a role of “watch dog” and share their views with other fellow NGOs, activists and the press in order to raise the voice in favour of more effective spending of public money. It is also hoped that with stronger lobbying supported by budget analysis data, the decision-makers will be convinced for changing the existing policies, wherever needed, for the betterment of the Poor in Rajasthan.
The Objectives
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To analyse the budgets and pull out relevant data on the areas of struggle and efforts of the People’s Organizations in Rajasthan, we focus particularly on the following areas:
Health Care Primary and Secondary Education Agriculture and Food Security Animal Husbandry Small Farmer Support Schemes (irrigation, crop insurance, subsidies etc.) Dalit & Adivasi Tribal Area Sub-Plan Water Resources—both urban and rural Drought Mitigation Budgetary Scope of Income Generation for the Poor Development Programmes for Women and Girls (including widow and separated women) Child Rights Strengthening Local Self-government Budgets Rural Development
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To do research work for the other selected NGOs on issues/areas of their concern, and help them with the analysis.
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To conduct training programmes for NGOs to alert them to the importance of using Budget Analysis Data in their lobbying work, and to give them understanding and skills to get information out of the budget books which they could use in their work with the people, and with the government
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To call meetings of NGOs and activists, to discuss the findings, and to make plans about how they can use the data to influence policy and public opinion
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To build a library of budget books, and supplementary books of data related to Budget Analysis.
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To act as an Information Centre with up-to-date names, addresses, phone, fax and e-mail information of Rajasthan MLA’s, Secretaries, Ministers, Party Presidents, Press reporters, etc. which could be accessed and used by NGOs in their lobbying work.
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To act as a contact organization for Rajasthan, for common initiatives with others in the country, to lobby for changes in the Economic Policy of Globalisation and Structural Adjustment, W.T.O. Agreements, etc.
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To work with activists of selected organizations in providing strategic information
During budget sessions of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly; When issues of policy are decided during the sessions; At election time when Party Manifestos are made.
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To work with activists of selected organisations in issuing press notes on issues of urgency and importance to the Poor, and from time to time, writing articles that would be published in the press, with the objective of building public pressure.
Operationalisation of the Centre
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The Centre has a team of analysts and support staff with a research background of public finance as well as some experience to work with NGO’s and activists in Rajasthan. The Centre takes help from academics and economists who are already working on budget from people’s perspective.
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A “Rajasthan Budget Analysis Advisory Group” has been formed which is a voluntary body that holds meetings of itself from time to time in order to give advice to the Programme Coordinator and Staff about the working of the Centre. The members of this Advisory Group have been drawn from:
• Organisations in the region doing Budget Analysis work;
• University or Research Institute Economists;
• Activists (from NGOs or Movements) experienced in lobbying and Advocacy;
• Other men and women selected for their special insights and Experiences.
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A “Budget Analysis Users’ Group”—comprising of selected NGOs, advocacy activists, institutes, peoples’ organisations etc.—has also been set up in order to ensure that the Budget Analysis Data gets used.
Working Strategy
1.
Do commissioned work. Work on pulling out data from the budget in response to requests from activist-NGOs, activist-networks, activist-organisations, activist-writers/researchers—or someone else who will use the material to try to make some change that is in the interest of the Poor.
2.
Form and Nurture the “Budget Analysis Users’ Group”, so that the effective ways to use the data generated are shared and built upon. Once the budget analysis materials start strengthening the lobbying and advocacy work, the desire to use the materials will increase.
3.
Take Suggestions from the Advisory Group. In case, if no activist-organisation is commissioning work on a certain subject, BARC can take up a piece of work suggested by the Advisory Committee and then promote it within the selected networks in Rajasthan.
4.
Call Meetings to Stimulate Activist Organisations to use material Generated. There is not only scope for the Centre to be “re-active, or responsive to requests”, but also “pro-active” or initiating use of material. BARC organises and conducts Regional Meetings in various parts of the state (usually three times a year). Also, BARC organises and conducts issue-based meetings, e.g. on issues like agriculture, animal husbandry, crop insurance, health, education, dalit, adivasi, amongst others. Such meetings are usually conducted four times a year. Meetings are organised and conducted with the members of the Panchayati Raj Institutions. In addition, press conferences are conducted twice a year.
5.
Publish newsletters and booklets. The newsletter entitled “Budget Samachar” and booklet entitled “BARC Working Paper” are regularly published. The newsletter contains short articles and booklet contains detailed analyses of both secondary information and primary data collected through field-survey.
The Way Forward
Social development work in the present time is much more complicated than it was earlier. The Globalisation of the economy has given new power to economic forces. Political forces are sometimes sidelined. A new kind of “homework” is needed on the part of those working with the people. We believe that the Rajasthan Budget Analysis is part of that needed homework. We have started it to strengthen the lobbying and advocacy work we have been doing with the people, and we also want the Centre to strengthen the work of other colleagues too. We do feel that the state and central governments have a responsibility to play a role to act in the interest of the people, including the poor.
We also feel that the poor—organised, aware, and armed with Budget Analysis material—can change the policies that keep them in a precarious position. And in the process, the People will be strengthened; will lose their fear of “big numbers” that they usually find in the Govt.’s budget books. Together, we will struggle for a better condition of employment, education, health services, environment, drinking water, agriculture of small farmers, tiny industries — a better life for all of Rajasthan’s citizens.
Copyright 2006. Budget Analysis Rajasthan Centre. All Rights Reserved
Health Care