New Delhi: Opposition leaders criticised the Union government for presenting a business-as-usual Budget on Friday, and not seriously addressing the lingering problems of unemployment and agrarian crisis.
At the same time, most opposition parties expressed their dismay over finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman not disclosing outlay figures in her speech. While she elaborated the second Narendra Modi government’s plans, targets and missions, she steered clear of detailing budgetary allocations in her speech. This not only breached convention, but appeared unethical as the Finance Bill was put to vote in the Lok Sabha immediately after the finance minister finished her speech, opposition parties felt.
Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram accused the Union government of withholding crucial information in the Budget. He pointed out that the “insipid” budget speech gave out no detail regarding the government’s expenditure, revenue, fiscal deficit, and even the allocation for the defence sector, and was an “unusually opaque exercise”.
“Has there ever been a Budget speech that does not disclose the total revenue, the total expenditure, the fiscal deficit, the revenue deficit, the additional revenue mobilisation or the financial concessions? Has there ever been a Budget speech that does not disclose the allocations to important programmes like MGNREGA, mid-day meal scheme, healthcare etc. and to vulnerable sections like SC, ST, minorities, women? We are shocked by the departure from the usual practice,” he said at a press gathering.
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He also said that the increased custom duties and taxes on a large number of goods, including petrol and diesel, is “protectionist and exploitative” in nature and will increase the taxpayer’s burden. He added that the Budget did not contain any noteworthy long-term or structural reform, as most announcements were only “expansion of current programmes and schemes”.
“The Modi government treats India as one big state government and has taken upon itself the responsibility to do things that are the right and duty of state governments. This is not cooperative federalism, it is an unequal partnership imposed by the Centre upon state governments,” he said.
Earlier the grand-old party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surejewala tweeted to say that the budget was anti-common people.
The Left parties hit out at the government for completely ignoring basic issues of people and making cosmetic announcements. They also said that the entire budget was an exercise to benefit the corporate sector while leaving the poor to fend for themselves.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said in a press release, “The first budget of the second Modi Government presented by Nirmala Sitharaman was a payback gift after the elections to corporate India and foreign financial interests. The Budget and the speech were full of several promises and commitments that would help big corporate capital and the wealthy to strengthen their grip on the Indian economy and foster greater integration of the Indian economy with international financial markets. Nothing, however, was there for India’s working people – kisans and workers – who would be left to fend for themselves in a world of shrinking opportunities for employment and livelihood.”
It also said that “opening up the Indian economy even more to foreign portfolio and direct investment (including the pension sector), creating a ‘financeable’ model for highways, promoting PPP in several areas including railways and metro development, etc. and even commercialization and financialization of social welfare through a ‘Social Stock Exchange’” indicated that the Modi government was betraying the people’s mandate.
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“There were no references to the issues of remunerative prices and debt relief that India’s farmers are in desperate need of. On labour, the creation of a more anti-labour labour code was also presented as a ‘reform’,” it said.
“The budget shows very little increase in spending for people. Total subsidies as per cent of total expenditure have remained almost unchanged at about 12 per cent. The first Woman Finance Minister of the country had presented a budget in which the expenditure on women has fallen from 5.1 per cent to 4.9 per cent of the total budget. Even the Nirbhaya Fund for women’s safety has not seen hardly any increase. There has been a marginal increase in spending on welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but this continues to be much less than their share in the population. Only 2.9 per cent for welfare of Scheduled Castes and 1.9 per cent of total expenditure for welfare of Scheduled Tribes. Decline in allocation for Umbrella Scheme for Scheduled Castes by 2000 crores. Share of allocations for the Ministry of Minority Affairs has remained unchanged. In the context where government’s own statistics are showing a massive increase in unemployment, the Finance Minister has cut the allocation for MGNREGA by Rs. 1000 crores as compared to the revised estimates for last year. Spending on even the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, First Modi Government’s flagship programme, has been reduced by about 4500 crores,” the party said.
The general secretary of the party took to Twitter to give his immediate response earlier.
The Communist Party of India (ML-Liberation) also said that the budget betrayed the poor and the middle classes, a large mass of which voted to re-elect the government.
“The government has decided to disinvest PSUs like Air India and others. It has also announced privatisation of assets worth Rs 50000 crores in Railways. Similar steps will be taken to further privatise the insurance sector. The budget is nothing but an open road to benefit corporates,” the party’s press release said, alleging that if such steps are taken then it will only intensify the growing inequality in India.
The Aam Aadmi Party also hit out at the government for doing little for common people who are in dire need of employment opportunities and quality education.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee too attacked the government for increasing the prices of fuel.
“#Budget2019 is completely visionless. In fact, the total vision is derailed. On top of it, not only have they imposed cess but also special additional excise duty on petrol and diesel leading to price increase by nearly Rs 2.50/litre for petrol and Rs 2.30/litre for diesel. As a result, price hikes will hit from transport to market to kitchens. Commoners are suffering and suffering…This is Election Prize!! ” she said on Twitter.
Even BJP’s own Subramanian Swamy, known for his unpredictability, pointed out contradictions in Sitharaman’s speech.