Ms. Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay, Chief Executive, VHAI, participated in Pre-Budget Consultation organised by Finance Ministry under the chairmanship of Shri Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs on 23rd December 2019. Eminent members from the ministry of Finance, Health and Family Welfare, Rural Development and NITI Aayog attended the meeting along with representative from leading non-profit organizations across the country. The meeting was held in view of the forthcoming General Budget 2020-21.
The major areas of discussion were to seek suggestions on improving efficiency in delivery of health services, devising innovative ways to reach primary health care facilities for marginalised sections, improving learning outcomes at primary level and making secondary and higher level education accessible and affordable, reforms related to pension and social protections especially for the weaker sections, focus of Government on public investment in social sector; gender equality, ways to boost economic and social infrastructure of rural sector and ways to eradicate unemployment and poverty through development of agriculture and allied sector as well as non-farm sector.
Suggestions on benefits of child budgeting, a dedicated National Fund for protection of children, eradication of child labour, policy to encourage healthy food habits by imposing higher taxes on sin products, broadening, expanding and strengthening PDS, land titles to women in view of increasing feminisation of agriculture, guidelines to include disabled-friendly technology, waiver of tax on assisted technology for disabled persons, better compliance of Right to Education and more financial allocation for secondary level schools, especially to support girl child and widening family healthcare support, augmenting pre-conception, antenatal and postnatal nutrition, employment generation with skill matching for youth in urban areas, focused skill development training for Adivasi and Dalit women, attracting more talent to aspirational districts with provision of tax holiday and a more effective monitoring of funds at Centre-State level were given by the participants.