Maha Congress Critiques Union Budget as a Numerical Labyrinth
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Synopsis
The Maharashtra Committee criticized the Union Budget as a chaotic numerical maze, asserting that it neglects farmers in crisis while highlighting issues like rising inflation and unemployment. Key sectors like health and education lack funding, and the budget fails to address job creation, leading to widespread disappointment and economic discontent.
Key Takeaways
- Union Budget perceived as chaotic.
- Farmers neglected amid crisis.
- Inflation and unemployment on the rise.
- Insufficient funding for health and education.
- No effective job creation plans.
Mumbai, Feb 1 (NationPress) The Maharashtra Committee stated that the Union Budget resembles a complex maze of numbers and chaos, highlighting that farmers are currently in crisis and protesting for guaranteed pricing on their agricultural products, yet there was no mention of their plight in the budget.
“Maharashtra is witnessing the highest number of farmer suicides. Despite the ongoing demand for loan waivers, the BJP government has failed to announce any such measures,” remarked Maharashtra chief Nana Patole.
He further emphasized that simply increasing the Kisan Credit Card limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh would not yield any real benefits for the farmers.
“With inflation soaring and unemployment drastically rising, there are no effective plans in place for job creation,” he added.
Patole noted that while the Union government claimed there would be no income tax for earnings below Rs 12 lakh, this announcement is also fraught with confusion.
“This appears to be an attempt to cater to the salaried and middle classes after the BJP’s performance fell short of its goal of 400 seats, landing at 240 instead,” he said.
He criticized the budget for slashing funds for the MGNREGA scheme, which provides crucial employment opportunities for the rural poor.
“There is no adequate funding allocated for essential sectors like health and education. The promise made in 2014 to create two crore jobs annually remains unfulfilled, and we are now facing an unprecedented unemployment crisis. The budget fails to outline any solid policies for job creation or employment generation. The common citizen has not received any concessions to help achieve their housing dreams, and GST rates remain unchanged,” Patole explained.
He pointed out that while Bihar was frequently referenced in the budget, Maharashtra was conspicuously absent from discussions.
“Bihar is approaching Assembly elections, which seems to have influenced the Finance Minister's focus on it in the budget. The immediate negative reaction from the stock market post-budget presentation indicates that it has not lived up to expectations,” he commented.
Meanwhile, party general secretary Sachin Sawant criticized the budget, asserting that it reveals a misguided direction in economic policies over the past decade, contrasting it with the Congress party's approach.
“For ten years, the government's focus has been on increasing supply. Despite a reduction of corporate tax by Rs 1.5 lakh crore, neither corporate profits nor employment opportunities increased. Even with banks writing off corporate loans, private investments and exports did not rise. During this time, the current account deficit widened, and the trade deficit remained unaddressed,” he stated.
He noted that foreign direct investment has plummeted from 3.6 percent of GDP during the UPA government to just 0.8 percent.
“Foreign investors are withdrawing from the stock market as corporations fail to generate profits. Meanwhile, the purchasing power of the public has dwindled to its lowest point in the past twenty years,” Sawant added.
He concluded by declaring the Modi administration as the most ineffective, lacking sound policies, and economically oblivious.
“It is evident how far we are from realizing a developed India due to their incompetence, with the specters of unemployment, inflation, and significant economic inequality casting a shadow over the common citizen,” he asserted.
