Budget Track, Volume 4, Track 2
The financial year (2006-07) had generated a lot of debate on various important economic policies being pursued and implemented. From the perspective of the poor and marginalised sections of the society, implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were two most important developments closely monitored for their implications on these sections of the population. The Approach Paper to the 11th Five Year Plan also generated tremendous debate within and outside the Government. Notably, the central focus of these debates was on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. The arguments essentially revolved around the constraints imposed on the Governments at various levels to undertake development expenditure (largely Revenue Expenditure in nature) by this law. This issue of the Budget Track discusses many such important and timely subject matters which came up at that stage and have significant bearing on the poor and the marginalised.
