Our IT sector was developed very well but today the same is suffering heavily due to the global melt down and also due to big Satyam scam. Our technologists fear retrenchment of their jobs. With regard to a fall in IT export, what measures the Government is going to take? Government should specify the remedial measures which it is going to take in this regard. Madam, as per the Report on Effect of Economic Slowdown on employment in India, about half a million workers have lost their jobs during October-December 2020. The most affected sectors were Gems and Jewellery, Transport and Automobiles where the employment has declined by 8.58 per cent to 4.03 per cent and 2.42 per cent respectively during the period October-December 2008 that is during the regime of this Government. It has been claimed by the UPA Government that in this Budget there has been a substantial increase in subsidy to social sectors. The important question is whether the poor aadmi has been benefited by this subsidy or not. He has got food, power, health care or not? The answer comes in negative because more than 27 per cent of the population of our country lives below poverty line. I would like to know whether the Government has taken measures to distribute the entitled subsidy directly to the targeted beneficiaries since the subsidies are regressive and not progressive. Subsidy on petroleum products and fertilizers has gone mostly to the overseas suppliers. I would also like the hon. Finance Minister to explain to the House that when the revenue collection is falling due to the industrial slow down and also due to reckless spending and inaccurate accounting in Budget, how this Government is going to improve fiscal deficit which is going up to 13 per cent if the deficit of States.
