Thankfully, Only 1 More Year To Go: Rahul Reacts To Budget 2018
The Union Budget was presented by Arun Jaitley on 1 February.
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Not Possible to Double Farmers' Income by 2022: Manmohan Singh
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday, 1 February, said it is not possible to double farmers' income by 2022 until the agricultural growth is 12 percent, reported PTI.
"The government says farmers' income will be doubled by 2022. But it's not possible until the agricultural growth is 12 percent. Until we achieve that ... It is just a hollow assurance," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad quoted Singh as saying after a meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi.
"The fiscal deficit seems to have increased," the former Prime Minister said.
Earlier in the day, Singh said it was to be seen how the government would fulfill its promises.
When questioned if the Budget was reform-oriented, the former PM said the word ‘reform’ has been used and abused too many times.
"I don't want to comment on it," he said, asked whether the farm crisis is a thing of the past and if not, what is the strategy to deal with it.
It is Not a People Friendly Budget: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Budget was not “people-friendly.” She said, “There was nothing new at all. It's not a people friendly budget. FM said nothing about unemployment. Medium and small scale sectors are still suffering. It's a shame that he has introduced only 1 percent education cess.”
Fancy Schemes With no Matching Budgets: Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi was late to join the party of opposition leaders criticising the Budget, but eventually he did.
Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter that even after four years farmers are not getting a fair price, there are not enough jobs being created and NDA government’s budget does not match their schemes.
“Thankfully, only 1 more year to go,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi has constantly hit out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the NDA government’s economic policies. During the Gujarat Election campaigning, he termed GST as Gabbar Singh Tax and repeatedly talked about growing unemployment.
No Relief For an Average Taxpayer. Is The FM Serious: P Chidambaram
Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed Jaitley’s Budget and said, “Farm sector stress will continue. Medical health care is a big jumla. Nothing in the budget to boost private investment. No relief to the average tax payer. Is the Finance Minister serious?”
Left, RJD Lash Out at Union Budget 2018
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alleged that there was "nothing" for Bihar in the union budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and squarely blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the alleged "stepmotherly treatment" meted out by the Centre.
Meanwhile, the Left parties today called the budget a "big jumla" (rhetoric) of the government which has elections on its mind.
PM Modi Congratulates Jaitley on MSP for Farmers
“From food processing to fiber optics, roads to shipping, youth to senior citizen, rural India to Ayushmaan Bharat, Digital India to Start Up India, this budget strengthens hopes and aspirations of crores of Indians,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the budget.
Farmers, Dalits, tribal communities will gain from this Budget, Modi said.
PM Modi congratulated the Finance Minister for the decision regarding Minimum Support Price. “I am sure it will help the farmers tremendously,” he said.
Nitish Lauds Medical Insurance Scheme, Yogi Says Budget Will Help Poor
“The Medical Insurance Scheme is a positive move”, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Desh ke ghareebon, gaon, kisaano, buzurgon ko dhyaan mein rakh kar behtareen yojnaayen hain, PM ka abhinandan aur FM ko badhai”. (The country’s poor, farmers and the old were kept in mind in this budget. I thank the Prime Minister and congratulate the Finance Minister.”
Journalists React to Budget 2018
Shortly after the budget presentation, top journalists reacted to different issues in the budget.
BJP Leaders laud Jaitley's Budget
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis called the Budget “historic and pathbreaking”, while the Union Minister of Minority Affairs Devendra Fadnavis said, “This "Budget" is "Gazette" of inclusive development.”
Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA from Rohini in Delhi called the Budget as being out and out for the poor, farmers and the most vulnerable sections of the society, going ahead to claiming that this might be a solid ground for the foundation of a New India.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said termed the budget “historic”, adding the medical insurance of Rs 5 lakh for 10 crore families is a huge initiative.
“This Budget envisions a paradigm shift in economic priorities and it will help in bridging the gap between between the rural and urban areas of our country,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
“In the 1 hour 45 minute speech, 1 hour was for the poor, this is indeed historic. The opposition has become too pessimistic,” BJP leader MJ Akbar said.
“I want congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on announcing the world's biggest national health protection scheme. This budget is for the development of the poor, for farmers and increasing their income, senior citizens and women”, said Union Cabinet Minister of Textiles and Information & Broadcasting Smriti Irani.
Opposition Reacts
Following his remarks that the economy is in a much better shape than 2014, Congress Spokesperson Sanjay Jha call the Budget ‘Damp-Squib’.
Swarajya member Yogendra Yadav asked, “If Members of Parliament can link their own salaries to inflation, why not do the same for farmers?”
NCP’s DP Tripathi complained that budget hasn’t taken care of infrastructure of basic sectors such as defence.
Former Minister of State with the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, Milind Deora said that budget comes out every year to give an idea of the state of the economy and can not indicate a government’s performance.
AAP minister Manish Sisodia also expressed his disappointment, complaining that “not a single extra rupee increased in Delhi’s share in Central taxes since 2001-02, stays at Rs 325 Cr.”
“Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has tried to make improvements for farmers but the problems of farmers and rural people are enormous. Measures may not be sufficient,” former PM HD Dewe Gowda said.
CMI(P) leader Sitaram Yechury said, “Modi govt's last full budget is a textbook exercise in post-truth.”
Industry Players and Business Journalists
Speaking to Times Now, Gurcharan Das, Author & Former CEO, Procter & Gamble said, “For the first time, a rural woman is equal to an urban woman because she has access to LPG.”
Economic Times Journalist Vasudha Venugopal pointed out that this year’s generous Budget might be to ‘fix’ things before the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
“Finance Minister has done well in allocating resources. We need rural development,” Deepak Parekh, HDFC Chairman told News18.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday, 1 February, presented the current NDA government's fifth and arguably his toughest Budget yet.
The Budget, in view of upcoming Assembly polls in eight states – including three major states ruled by the BJP – and general elections next year, may see new rural schemes and step up funding to existing programmes like MNREGA, rural housing, irrigation projects and crop insurance.
There is also an expectation that average citizen may get some relief in income tax by way of a raise in the exemption limit. Also on Jaitley's menu may be upping spending on infrastructure projects like highways and modernisation of railways.
Since the budget is the biggest economic phenomenon of the country, it is bound to gather reactions from people across the country in various industries:
Food Processing Minister Praises Budget for Increasing Farmer Income
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing thanked the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister for increasing farmers income by giving 1.5 times cost incurred to farmers as MSP.
MOS for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Gajendra S Shekhawat Promised Rural Agricultural Markets For Farmers.
BJP's General Secretary for UP Lays Out Focus Area's of The Budget
BJP’s General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh, Pankaj Singh laid out all the focus area’s of this year’s budget including good health for economically less privileged, taking care of senior citizens, infrastructure creation, improving quality of the education and improving ‘ease of living’.
All India Mahila Congress has Eyes on Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan
Tweeting a National Herald article, the women wing of the Congress said that the allocation for the Special Component Plan and the Tribal Sub Plan went down by a whopping ₹2.68 lakh Crore, asking if this year’s budget is going to be any different.
Yogendra Yadav Promotes His Kisan Ka Budget Initiative
Former Aam Aadmi leader Yogendra Yadav also tweeted saying that he is listening to Arun Jaitley’s Budget Speech and very subtly promoted his upcoming initiative saying that he will announce his new initiative, Kisan ka Budget soon.
Deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh Hints on Income Tax and Corporate Tax Relief
The deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prakash Maurya tweeted about the Union Buget, hinting at a relief on Income Tax and Corporate Tax. Maurya said that the government is expected to provide Income Tax and Corporate tax relief along with farm sops.
P.Chidambram Call Economic Survey a 'Diagnosis' of Dr. CEA
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram tweeted saying that the Economic Survey presented by the Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam was a diagnosis and he is waiting to see if the patient, the Government will take corrective action.
Income Tax Department Introduces 'All-Male' Budget Team
The income tax department introduced the team behind the budget including finance minister Arun Jaitley as the finance minister made his way to the parliament to present the budget.
The team introduced by the IT department includes MOS(Finance) SP Shukla & MOS(Finance & Shipping) Pon Radhakrishnan and Finance Secretary Dr. Hansmukh Adhia at North Block, New Delhi on the eve of Budget.
However, as the IT Department introduced the team behind the Union Budget, they were instantly criticised for having an all-male team.
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