Mr. Vice Chairman, Sir, I welcome the Budget proposals for the year 2012-13 which are all comprehensive and which embrace most of the development plans that we have envisaged for the establishment of a socialistic society in this country. In spite of the taxation and the introduction of fresh duties we find that the Finance Minister has succeeded in disturbing only a Microscopic section of the people of this country to extract sufficient funds for our schemes. The Finance Minister has also succeeded in finding funds for almost all the development plans of this country which will add to our good. While we discuss the general aspects of the Budget we will have to consider the activities of most of the sections that are now covered in the Budget. Even though the provisions are there I think, Sir, the expenditure on some of the activities envisaged in this Budget should be subjected to a through scrutiny. In this respect, Sir, I wish to bring to the notice of this House the special feature of the educational system of this country. Some of the members have mentioned something about the educational system of this country have remarked that the allocation of funds is not adequate and that the provision should be revised according to the needs of this country. As the hon. Member was speaking in Hindi I did not thoroughly understand what he meant but still, Sir, the educational system has created a sort of confusion in our country over the last fifteen years, and every now and then we had been changing the schemes and plans for educating our children and various States have adopted different schemes which have actually created a feeling of disintegration among the people of this country. In some of the States they have switched on to the regional language as the medium of instruction and in some States they think that English should be retained as the medium of instruction. But the people believe that the medium of instruction should be Hindi that is the national language of our country. But, Sir, the time is not yet ripe for us to switch on to Hindi. So, as and when we find it feasible we may switch on to our national language but till that time we will keep English as the medium of instruction in all educational institutions. Sir, we must bear in mind the economic viability of small plantations of 5 hectares and the financial capacity of the small planters to fulfill the obligations cast on them to provide housing and creche facilities. Those small planters in some cases are unable to provide themselves with houses and medical care as good as those intended for their workers in the Bill. I am sure that good many small holdings will go into liquidation unable to bear the burden when the prices fall as in the case of tea today. I would emphatically say that clause 13 is not only Draconian but discriminatory. And it is most harsh and killing to the farming community of India whose hands feed and clothe the people poor and rich. Sir, I strongly feel that the punishment with both compulsory fine and imprisonment is too severe for violation of a welfare legislation covered by the Act. For economic reasons and financial incapacity the debt ridden employer particularly a small holder may be unable to discharge the obligations such as providing type design houses, crèches, medical facilities, etc. In such cases there is no point in sending the landholder to jail and collecting a fine from him for every day of default. The relevant provisions in the Bill are made more stringent than the Factories Act under which in the case of a further offence the court is given the discretion to punish the defaulting employer. But in the proposed amendment the word used is shall instead of May which makes it mandatory on the court to impose imprisonment as well as fine. These provisions are too harsh and discriminatory particularly in view of the fact that the Bill seeks to bring in farms of five hectares which are in the nature of peasant holdings under the scope of the Act. Sir, I would like to ask the Government of the people for the people and by the people in the same of the farmers of India why it wants to treat a farmer as a criminal and to be imprisoned for such an offence while it does not do so for a factory owner of a city? By making this comparison I do not mean that a provision should be made in the relevant Factories Act to make the sentence of imprisonment compulsory for similar offences. Let me make it clear that I am not speaking against the interests of the workers in the plantations. I am only speaking against the stringent and invidious measures which have been provided in the Bill affecting the rural employers and the invidious laws enacted for them. Submit