RSS and its affiliates seek I-T cut, robot tax launch in upcoming Budget

An increase in the farmer income support scheme PM Kisan Nidhi, the introduction of a 'robot tax' to fund reskilling of people who lose their jobs to artificial intelligence (AI), and a reduced income-tax (I-T) to bring relief to the middle classes — These are some of the items in the Budget wish list submitted by Sangh Parivar affiliates to Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman.

Representatives of the affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), such as the farmer organisation Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS); trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS); Laghu Udyog Bharati, which works for micro and small industries; and Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), which works on economic and policy issues, met the FM and other officials over the last couple of weeks as part of the pre-Budget consultations.

The SJM's Ashwani Mahajan met the FM along with other economists on June 19. He appreciated the Centre's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which has helped increase private investments, but stressed that it should now cover micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He said such a step would contribute to job creation. Mahajan, the national co-convenor of SJM said the upcoming defence corridors should have space for MSMEs.

On the looming challenge of AI, Mahajan suggested introducing a 'robot tax', which could fund the reskilling of those who lose jobs or finance research in improving labour-displacing technologies. His other suggestions related to ensuring a level playing field for domestic venture capital funds, and taking steps to reduce red-tapism for Indian startups that are reverse flipping.

Representatives of the BMS met the FM along with those of the other dozen trade unions but submitted a separate memorandum. The Mazdoor Sangh suggested extending the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to 200 days a year. It said MNREGA should also include work done in agriculture and allied activities.

The BMS suggested restoring the Old Pension Scheme and demanded that the Centre take "quick steps" to fill all central government vacancies, which it said currently stand at close to 2 million. The trade union said the Centre must create permanent posts for sanitary and sewerage workers in civic bodies and panchayats. It said sewerage workers employed as contract workers for two decades should get permanent jobs. The suggestion came in the wake of criticism of the government for reducing the number of government jobs available to Scheduled Castes. The BMS, whose national organising secretary B Surendran attended the meeting with the FM, demanded steps to create jobs through entrepreneurship development, setting up the 8th pay commission and reducing I-T to "give relief to the middle class".

The BKS demanded an increase in the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, which was introduced in 2018-19, from Rs 6,000 to help farmers meet the challenge of rising input costs. The BKS said that the Centre needed to increase allocation for irrigation and for connecting rivers to offset climate imbalances. It said the Centre should stop providing "huge subsidies" to "companies in the name of farmers" since not all farmers benefit from these subsidies as they use other sources to procure fertilisers, implements, and electricity. Such subsidies, it said, should go directly to farmers. It said farmers should get an input tax credit on agricultural tools since they are also producers, or this should be GST-free, Kisan Sangh general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra said.

The Laghu Udyog Bharati suggested changes in the goods and services tax regime, and also presented an "8-point plan on 'grassroots-centric economic development' for India to become a $10 trillion economy by 2030."

Key expectations

Swadeshi Jagran Manch

> ‘Robot tax’ to fund reskilling or finance research in improving labour-displacing technologies

> PLI to be extended to MSMEs

Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh 

> Extend MGNREGA to 200 days a year

> Restore OPS, fill central govt vacancies

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh

> Increase PM Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 

> Increased allocation for irrigation and connecting rivers to offset climate imbalances