'Union Budget 'spinning a mirage', poor have doubled in one year...'

Kolkata: Amit Mitra, principal Chief Advisor to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee again hit out at the central government for the Budget cut on food subsidy by 28 per cent in the Union Budget for the financial year 2022-23. Mitra who has a doctorate in Economics from the US took to his Twitter handle and dubbed the budget 'Only selling Pie-in –the sky' and 'spinning a Mirage'.

"While POOR have DOUBLED in one year to 134 MILLION, Budget CUT FOOD SUBSIDY BY 28%, CUT 100-days-work by 25%, Social Services CUT(as % GDP),Agri CUT(% GDP), Health CUT(% GDP). RUTHLESSLY ANTI-POOR BUDGET & ZERO for MIDDLE CLASS—only selling PIE-in-the SKY & spinning a MIRAGE." Mitra wrote in his Twitter on Sunday.

On the day when the Union Budget was presented Mitra had termed it as a bluff, lacking understanding of the ground reality. "No section of society has benefitted. It is a Budget without any planning," he had said.

He had further said that the Budget has not mentioned anything on the mounting unemployment in

the country. There are three crore unemployed people in the country and no plan has been made for them.

Mitra had added that silently the budgetary allocation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme (MGNREGA) has been brought down to Rs 73,000 crore from Rs 98,000 crore and reiterated that it will affect the income of people under the 100 days work programme.