Budget pro-FDI, anti-poor, cry Trinamool, congress, others
11 July 2014 6:54 AM IST
The West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the Union Budget 2014-15, saying the Narendra Modi-led government has ‘become a government of the FDI, by the FDI and for the FDI.’
Presenting his maiden Union Budget, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the government has decided to increase FDI in insurance sector to 49 per cent from the current 26 per cent while the FDI in defence sector has also been raised to 49 per cent from 26 per cent. ‘We heard about a strong and vibrant India before the government came to power. We thought that it will be delivered to provide good governance,’ Banerjee reacted on her Facebook page. ‘Already, there is FDI in the retail. Now FDI is increased to 49 per cent in defence, and insurance sectors. In addition, disinvestment in banking sector is up to 49 per cent. All these will adversely affect the people of the country,’ she rued.
Banerjee also slammed the allocation of ‘a meagre’ Rs 100 crore for ‘Beti bachao, beti padhao’ programme, which she said was a ‘mockery’. ‘In our state, the `Kanyashree’ project was launched for the first time with a provision of about Rs 1,000 crore. It is really shocking to see that an important scheme for girl child `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ has been announced with only a meagre Rs 100 crore for all states and UTs together. Is it not a mockery?’ she asked.
The denial of share to West Bengal in the six new textile clusters to be set up with allocation of Rs 200 crore also upset her. ‘Even though, West Bengal has tremendous potential for textile sector, it does not find place among the six new textile clusters announced in the budget,’ she said.
‘West Bengal, even being the largest fruits and vegetables producer in the country, has been denied for Horticulture University announced in the budget,’ she pointed out. ‘Even in 100 days’ work scheme, where the poor people are involved, not a single paise has been increased in allocation. On the other hand, prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene along with prices of fruits and vegetable and other essential commodities are increasing day by day,’ the chief minister said.
‘The Budget is visionless, missionless and actionless from the angle of the common people. It is not going to stimulate growth and development of the poor. In both the budgets, it is noticeable that Bengal and so many other states are getting deprived,’ Banerjee summed up. Echoing the Trinamool Congress’ reaction, the Opposition parties termed Narendra Modi government’s maiden budget a ‘disappointment’ and an ‘anti-poor’ exercise.
Despite raising expectations, the Budget has turned out to be a ‘missed opportunity’ for the BJP, they said. The overall apprehension was that raising the tax exemption limit by Rs 50,000 was just ‘inadequate’ when inflation was running high. ‘There is nothing new, they have merely continued our schemes,’ Congress president Sonia Gandhi said after leaving Parliament.
The deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Capt Amrinder Singh, said the budget was ‘not pro-poor’. The NCP chief and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said, ‘It is a disappointment, rain of announcements, bunch of words and, lastly, insufficient fuel supply to engine of growth’.
‘It is a corporate budget. There is nothing exceptional in this budget. There is nothing that will help the common man facing the brunt of rising prices. The Rs 50,000 raise in tax exemption limit will not help the common man. With the rise in indirect taxes, prices of all items are going to rise.’ Pawar, however, hailed the ‘one-rank-one-pension’ provision for ex-servicemen, which the previous UPA government had initiated, and grant of heritage status to Amritsar.
Presenting his maiden Union Budget, finance minister Arun Jaitley said the government has decided to increase FDI in insurance sector to 49 per cent from the current 26 per cent while the FDI in defence sector has also been raised to 49 per cent from 26 per cent. ‘We heard about a strong and vibrant India before the government came to power. We thought that it will be delivered to provide good governance,’ Banerjee reacted on her Facebook page. ‘Already, there is FDI in the retail. Now FDI is increased to 49 per cent in defence, and insurance sectors. In addition, disinvestment in banking sector is up to 49 per cent. All these will adversely affect the people of the country,’ she rued.
Banerjee also slammed the allocation of ‘a meagre’ Rs 100 crore for ‘Beti bachao, beti padhao’ programme, which she said was a ‘mockery’. ‘In our state, the `Kanyashree’ project was launched for the first time with a provision of about Rs 1,000 crore. It is really shocking to see that an important scheme for girl child `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ has been announced with only a meagre Rs 100 crore for all states and UTs together. Is it not a mockery?’ she asked.
The denial of share to West Bengal in the six new textile clusters to be set up with allocation of Rs 200 crore also upset her. ‘Even though, West Bengal has tremendous potential for textile sector, it does not find place among the six new textile clusters announced in the budget,’ she said.
‘West Bengal, even being the largest fruits and vegetables producer in the country, has been denied for Horticulture University announced in the budget,’ she pointed out. ‘Even in 100 days’ work scheme, where the poor people are involved, not a single paise has been increased in allocation. On the other hand, prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene along with prices of fruits and vegetable and other essential commodities are increasing day by day,’ the chief minister said.
‘The Budget is visionless, missionless and actionless from the angle of the common people. It is not going to stimulate growth and development of the poor. In both the budgets, it is noticeable that Bengal and so many other states are getting deprived,’ Banerjee summed up. Echoing the Trinamool Congress’ reaction, the Opposition parties termed Narendra Modi government’s maiden budget a ‘disappointment’ and an ‘anti-poor’ exercise.
Despite raising expectations, the Budget has turned out to be a ‘missed opportunity’ for the BJP, they said. The overall apprehension was that raising the tax exemption limit by Rs 50,000 was just ‘inadequate’ when inflation was running high. ‘There is nothing new, they have merely continued our schemes,’ Congress president Sonia Gandhi said after leaving Parliament.
The deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Capt Amrinder Singh, said the budget was ‘not pro-poor’. The NCP chief and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said, ‘It is a disappointment, rain of announcements, bunch of words and, lastly, insufficient fuel supply to engine of growth’.
‘It is a corporate budget. There is nothing exceptional in this budget. There is nothing that will help the common man facing the brunt of rising prices. The Rs 50,000 raise in tax exemption limit will not help the common man. With the rise in indirect taxes, prices of all items are going to rise.’ Pawar, however, hailed the ‘one-rank-one-pension’ provision for ex-servicemen, which the previous UPA government had initiated, and grant of heritage status to Amritsar.
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