Bold steps announced': Govt hails Budget 2017 as Oppn terms it heartless

New Delhi: The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2017-2018 on Wednesday at the Lok Sabha. In a historic move, for the first time, the Railway Budget and the General Budget were combined and presented together.

The Budget came at a crucial time for the country considering the Modi government's move of demonetisation in early November has left the country coping with such a major decision.

After the Budget was presented, comments from various political leaders and economic stalwarts started pouring in on how it might affect the country.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh praised the Union Budget in Parliament, saying it is in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sabke Saath Sabka Vikas'.

"Like previous year, this year also the central budget has been announced with a number of financial provisions in public interest," Singh said in an official statement.

"It's a fine exercise taken up by the Finance Minister. It's very inspiring, bold steps have been announced. Particularly the political funding has been made transparent. People will be happy. Some political parties will become poor. That is why our opponents are saying the budget is anti-poor,” Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters outside Parliament.

"The Congress and other leaders said this budget is anti-poor. It means that these parties which were being run on black money, they will become extremely poor," he added.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said that the budget is focused on rural infrastructure, housing and roads.

"It will transform rural India and urban as well in terms enhancing the capacity of building infrastructure. It is a great relief to the common masses and it will transform the economy of the nation. At the same time, the reform in taxation is great.

"From the point of view of electoral reforms, this budget has shown a clear way. Political parties have to transform itself. In democracy, political parties are the essence of the whole system. The transparency in which the political parties have to manage their funding system, has been given a great lift in this budget," he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said this budget clearly shows and proves BJP's agenda of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'.

"On one side the budget focuses on development in rural areas and farmers. At the same time, measures have also been announced to make small businesses to become competitive in the global market.

"Transparency, development, nation building are keystones of this historic budget. It again shows our government's commitment to eliminate corruption and black money from the system," Kumar said.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the electoral reforms are a very important step in bringing transparency in political funding.

"But more importantly FM has ensured many concessions to honest tax payers. Now it's only five per cent tax, it is the lowest bracket we have ever imagined. And so (those earning) up to Rs five lakh, all should come and declare their income that is the intent of this revolutionary step.

"Demonetisation has resulted in bringing all the money into various accounts. Therefore, we can all track, issue notices. So things are on the move. 35 per cent advance tax increase is the success of demonetisation," he said.

Union minister Smriti Irani described the budget to be "multi dimensional". The push given to the infrastructure sector with the highest ever allocation is a testimony to the government's commitment to ensure that 'Make in India' is complimented by the success of infrastructure sector.

"The push given to agriculture and allied sector by enhanced allocation is also an indication that with the strengthening of the rural economy we will see prosperous families and homes across the nation.

"Additionally, the push given to the SC plan and the enhancement of allocation of SC plan is an indicative that the government is ensuring the strengthening of opportunities for those who are under privileged," she said.

Irani said being a woman, she was "extremely buoyant" with the fact that Mudra Yojana had 70 per cent beneficiaries as women and the Finance Minister's announcement that its allocation is also being doubled is an indication that women who want to be entrepreneurs in their own right will have substantial support from the government.

As appreciated as the Budget 2017 was, it was equally criticised.

Stating that the Centre's note ban decision "pick-pocketed" the common man while big defaulters remained unaffected, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray sought to the know the need for a Budget every year "when the previous promises are not fulfilled".

"The troubles that people had to face due to demonetisation can never be compensated. The government might say that deposits have increased manifold but the truth remains that the big money defaulters have been kept aside while common man was pick-pocketed," Thackeray said.

"Why did they not announce in the previous Budget that they would be demonetising currency," he asked.

"When last year's announcements remain unfulfilled, what is the meaning of this Budget? When you do not fulfil the promises you make, what is the need to present the Budget every year," he further questioned.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, criticised the government for proceeding with the presentation of the Union Budget after the death of E Ahamed, accusing it if delaying announcement of the news so that it could present the Budget without any hiccups.

"They have promised all these things keeping polls in five states in mind. They have not said anything for farmers, youth, women. They have accepted that GDP growth has gone down," Kharge added.

Opposition denounced the Union Budget with Rahul Gandhi saying it lacked a clear vision and had nothing for farmers, youths and job creation while Mamata Banerjee dubbed it as "clueless, useless and heartless" and questioned why no data on demonetisation was given.

The West bengal CM, a staunch opponent of the demonetisation move tweeted, "A controversial #Budget2017 which is clueless, useless, baseless, missionless and actionless. Heartless. No roadmap for the country or the future from a government that has lost all its credibility."

"Tax payers still have restrictions on withdrawals. Remove all restrictions immediately. And where are the figures for #DeMonetisation? Misleading. Full of jugglery of numbers and hollow words which mean nothing," she said.

JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav also said the government did not touch upon the issue of how much black money has been recovered post demonetisation.

Not impressed with the restriction on cash donations to political parties to Rs 2000, Yadav said, "Until the people of the country teach a lesson to those with blackmoney, things will not improve."

Terming the Budget as "contractionary" CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "It an example of Finance Minister joining the Prime Minister and the BJP President to create 'jumlas' (phrases used as rhetoric). The budget is a classic example of that."

He added, ""It won't boost employment or generate demand. The idea of infrastructure development is a farce because the data given by the FM is not related to reality, does not match to what he said in his speech."

NCP's Tariq Anwar said the budget was way below expectations and had nothing for farmers and youth. Party leader Supriya Sule too noted that the budget did not offer anything to farmers. She said the budget is giving more thrust on employment guarantee scheme of MGNREGA which the BJP had allegedly opposed for years.

"It is a government of U-turn," she quipped.

CPI national secretary D Raja said the budget has nothing "spectacular" to offer and does not stoke any hope of retrieval of country's economy, which he added, is in "bad shape as underscored in the economic survey" released on Tuesday.

"Besides, the way they claim about giving thrust on rural development, it is rhetoric, done in view of polls in five states. What are the efforts for job creation? On the issue of tax, how they are going to tighten noose around those evading tax, they have not explained," Raja said.