Muzamil Bhat

Author

Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

Editor

large_01-DSC03376-MB-“I need to earn 12 lakhs first!”.jpg

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<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Ali Mohammed Lone believes the union “budget is for officers.” By which, he most likely means it’s designed for middle class sarkari log or government employees. And which also suggests this small bakery shop owner in Kashmir’s Baramulla district has figured out it’s not about people like him.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">“I purchased a 50 kilogram bag of flour for 1,400 rupees in 2024, which now costs 2,200,” says the 52-year old bread-maker, speaking to us in Maheen village in Tangmarg block. “If there is anything in the budget that helps reduce prices, then I’d be interested in it; otherwise, as I said, this budget is for officers.”<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Maheen village, situated approximately 45 kilometres from Srinagar, lies between the winter tourist destinations of Tangmarg and Drang. It is home to around 250 families mainly engaged in tourism-related activities, such as pony rentals, sledge-pulling, and guiding services. Due to its colder climate, Maheen primarily produces corn.

<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Ali Mohammed lives with his wife and two sons (both students) and bread from his bakery ends up on the table of most residents of the village. His elder son Yasir helps out in the bakery store, which opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. After this, he shifts to his grocery shop next to the bakery to earn extra money that will help him cope with soaring prices in the market.<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:&quot;Fira Sans&quot;, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:29px;margin:0px 0px 20px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">“I have heard people discussing a tax exemption for incomes up to 12 lakh rupees and loans available through the Kisan Credit Card. However, I need to earn 12 lakhs first.&nbsp; My annual income is only around 4 lakh rupees. I wonder why no one is talking about jobs for the youth. Is there anything related to employment opportunities in the budget?” he asks with a curious expression.

‘I need to earn 12 lakhs first!’

'પહેલા હું 12 લાખ કમાઉ તો ખરો!'

'ముందు నేను ఆ 12 లక్షలూ సంపాదించాలి!'

’முதலில் நான் 12 லட்சம் ரூபாய் சம்பாதிக்க வேண்டும்!’

'ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਕਮਾਈ ਤਾਂ 12 ਲੱਖ ਹੋਵੇ!'

‘ആദ്യം ഞാൻ 12 ലക്ഷം സമ്പാദിക്കണം!’

'ಮೊದಲು ನಾನು 12 ಲಕ್ಷ ಸಂಪಾದಿಸಬೇಕು!'

पहिली त मोला 12 लाख कमाय ला परही!

‘पहिले 12 लाख के कमाई त होखो!’

‘প্ৰথমে মই ১২ লাখ উপাৰ্জন কৰিব লাগিব!’

’پہلے مجھے ۱۲ لاکھ کمانے ہوں گے‘

‘आधी १२ लाख कमवायला लागतील’

‘ମୋର ଆଗ ୧୨ ଲକ୍ଷ ଟଙ୍କା ରୋଜଗାର ହେଉ!’

'पहले 12 लाख कमा तो लूं!'

'আরে বাবা, আগে বারো লাখ টাকা রোজগার তো করতে হবে!'

Baramulla

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‘I need to earn 12 lakhs first!’

A bread-maker in Baramulla, Kashmir, says he can’t find anything of interest to people like him in the budget. Rising prices worry him more than tax exemptions

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