New Delhi: The Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held her 5th Pre-Budget consultation meeting with the stakeholders from Social Sector Groups on Friday.
In her opening remarks, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the public investment in social infrastructure like education, health and other services is a key determinant of quality of life of the people.
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She said that the present Government is committed for improving the educational standards, skilling the youth, enhancing job opportunities, reducing disease burden, empowering women and improving human development in order to have an inclusive development.
ETV Bharat talked to some representatives who were present in the meeting with finance minister on Friday.
The main areas of discussion during the aforesaid Meeting included issues relating to Health (Primary health & Tertiary services, Ayush &Ayurveda), education (School & University education, Private & Public education), social protection (Old age, Women and Children, Dalits and Other Backward Classes & Youth), pensions and human development among others.
The stakeholders of Social Sector gave a wide range of suggestions including:
- Focus on education and hygiene particularly for rural women
- Audit of cities to identify security gaps to strengthen women safety
- Increased budgetary allocation towards nutrition of infants and pregnant mothers
- Full operationalization of one-stop centres for women in all districts
- Expansion of healthcare infrastructure
- Provision of free drugs and diagnostic facilities
- Rationalisation of taxes on medical devices
- Promotion of Public Private Partnership in Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare Sectors
- Creation of model schools on cluster-based approach with electronic and transport connectivity
- Increased allocation for post-metric scholarship schemes
- Recognising and encouraging contribution of teachers though instituting awards
- Investment in protection of children from labour
- Promoting focus on fruits and vegetables intake
- Higher taxation on sweetened and salted products
- Investment in hygiene behaviour
- Forming Rural Faecal Sludge Management Policy
- Promoting social entrepreneurship amongst young population
- Fiscal incentives for recycling of waste water and rainwater harvesting
- Declaring malnutrition free Panchayats on the line of Open-Defecation Free Panchayats
- Increased budgetary allocation for Special Schools and Rehabilitation Centres
