From 50 Years Ago: Deserted Cause

Deserted Cause

The Union Budget is not the occasion for being facetious. But since the Finance Minister himself has abstained from any serious effort to grasp the opportunities for renewed growth, what else can one seize upon except the proposed increase in the area under poppy to meet the greater demand for opium? To the generation that seeks opportunities for beneficial employment of its talents and skills, the Budget, announced as first of the series for the Fourth Plan, offers little, even of hope. True, prices are relatively stable, the economy has shown signs of revival and the balance of payments is in a less parlous state than before. Of what avail are all these unless the economy is put back on the growth curve?