The bottom line is that better results would come about not by increased outlays alone but by adequate spending in conjunction with improved governance, which is a function of optimised bureaucratic processes and a reliable mechanism for ensuring accountability
The obsessive security associated with Budget preparation, where dozens of Finance Ministry officials are sequestered in North Block days ahead of the presentation, has a huge downside in that there is no informed discussion on the proposed budgetary provisions. Unfortunately, budget proposals are finalised in the rarefied atmosphere of North Block, far removed from the persons and places for whose benefit the whole exercise is undertaken.
Known for his vibrant diction in English, Congress MP and writer Shashi Tharoor has often sent twitteratis looking for dictionaries…
