Mangalore, March 16: The Union budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee earlier today has attracted more criticism than praise from people of the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.
Following are some responses of people who spoke to Coastaldigest.com:
Latha Kini, President, Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
Increase of service tax and central excise tax will hurt the common man. It will result in price rise of all goods and affect all sections of the society. Subsidies for the agriculture sector have been retained so the burden has now fallen on the common man and the traders. The real tax collectors will be in dire straits now as the profit margin is reduced. The trade dealer will get nothing.
There are some positives too. Reducing interest rates for women of self-help groups is a good move. The infrastructure outlay is good and it was needed, or else, a revival is difficult. The Finance Minister has stressed on power needs and exemption to coal etc is a positive move. It is needed, keeping the future in mind.
G Hanumanth Kamath, President, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, DK:
It is a capitalistic budget. The middle class has not benefited from this budget. Reducing rates for grocery items should have been considered. The increase of service tax will affect the common man. Although they have reduced rates of petroleum products, they will soon bring about a rise in prices quoting increase in rates of crude oil etc.
B Ramanath Rai, MLA:
It is a balanced budget. Importance has been given to child welfare which is a good move.
Padmanabha Kottari, DK Dist President, BJP:
This budget has been severe on the poor and the middle class. Rates of Beedi and Gutka have been increased. It is the poor who buy these products. Also, gold prices have also been increased. There is no improvement at all.
Adv. Raghavendra Rao, President, DK BJP Yuva Morcha:
No importance has been given to small investors. The Union government has increased the level for Income Tax to Rs 2 lakh which was Rs. 1,50,000 before. This is again unfair on the middle class. They have reduced prices for salt and matchbox which was not necessary. Overall, it's a pro-rich budget.
M G Hegde, JDS leader:
Although it boasts of possessing economic experts such as Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee, the Congress government has failed to fulfill people's expectations in this year's budget. It is just a technical and statistical balancing act and nothing has been done for the middle class. Besides, by merely giving subsidies to farmers, their problems won't be solved. Measures have to be taken for overall village development and agriculture development. Prices for TV, refrigerator etc have also been increased, conveniently forgetting thatsuch electronic goods are widely used by middle class and lower middle class people.
Muneer Katipalla, State Vice President, and DK Dist President, DYFI:
This budget has given scope for the growth of PPP (Public Private Partnership) which will only take privatization forward. It will have its impact on health, educational and other sectors where common people and students will have to suffer. The subsidies retained for farmers are mere gimmiks and no serious measures have been taken to stop farmer suicides. Reducing interest for Provident Funds, will also work in the favour of MNCs which shows that this budget is pro-corporates.
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