The Hindu : Rs. 100 crores for Voluntary Retirement Scheme

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Friday, Mar 01, 2002

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Rs. 100 crores for Voluntary Retirement Scheme

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB. 28. Eager to contain the non-plan expenditure, the Government has set aside Rs. 100 crores in the budget to implement the Voluntary Retirement Scheme that will be offered to a section of the surplus manpower identified in the 36 Ministries/Departments surveyed by the Expenditure Reforms Commission (ERC).

In his budget speech, the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, indicated that nearly 12,200 of the identified surplus manpower of 42,200 in these Ministries/Departments would be abolished by the end of March this year. However, Mr. Sinha did not give any indication as to how many posts each of the Ministries/Departments _ slated to feel the axe _ would have to surrender.

For the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting _ where the ERC had found 5,603 posts redundant outside the realm of Prasar Bharati _ this decision of the Finance Minister over-shadowed the sops offered to sectors under its administration. However, sources claimed that there would be no consequent physical loss as the Finance Ministry had agreed to the I&B Ministry's submission that it be made to surrender only 550 vacant posts for the time being.

But for this, the budget had some good tidings for the entertainment sector. Acknowledging the entertainment industry as an "area of our core competence'' and the country's potential to become the international hub for all types of inputs for this industry, the Finance Minister has "accordingly'' increased budgetary support for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry by 22 per cent to Rs. 415 crores.

With a view to giving a boost to the entertainment industry, Mr. Sinha has proposed to allow for the next five years a deduction of 50 per cent of the profits earned by units constructing and operating multiplex theatres in non-metropolitan towns.

Giving in to the Ministry's contention that India had the technical capability to become an up-linking hub for television channels for the SAARC countries, there is a proposal to reduce customs duty on certain earth station equipment and studio equipment from 35 per cent to 25 per cent. This, it is envisaged, will facilitate the setting up of state-of-the-art up-linking facilities at competitive costs.

For the common man _ particularly couch-potatoes _ Mr. Sinha had bad news. Widening the service tax net, he has extended it to cover cable operators who, in turn, will invariably transfer it on to their subscribers.

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