Budget, a closer reading
The Interim Budget sounds more like an election campaign pamphlet than a Budget that addresses critical issues. One of the most worrying areas the nation is facing is the young and the educated, the real strength of the country, leaving the nation in search of a better life. Sadly, Budgets come and go, but taxation policies are often sidelined.
Worst hit are employees and pensioners, with no relief in sight from battling inflation and paying taxes.
Tall talk of development, infrastructure and growth would mean very little to those struggling.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
The Indian masses, who are already facing unprecedented inflation and alarming unemployment, pinned their hopes on the Interim Budget, but to no avail. The Finance Minister has failed to announce any big jump in the allocation for the selected four segments of society, i.e., kisans, women, youth and poor. There has been no change in income-tax slabs. There is no measure to create wealth nor is there anything to generate an atmosphere of trust.
S.K. Khosla,
Chandigarh
The Interim Budget deserves praise as it shuns populist measures and strikes a fine balance between continuity and progress. The announcement of the creation of a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore along with 50-year interest-free loans for research and development in the sunrise domains will no doubt bolster the country’s digitisation march while creating opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs. A higher outlay for infrastructure will not only help boost the economy but will also spur investment in the long run.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
The expectations of the salaried class that they would get some relief have been belied. There has been no hike in the standard deduction limit nor has the maximum deduction for tax benefit under Section 80C (it has been static for years now) been hiked. Successive Budgets have ignored the salaried class. Obviously, the salaried class has no lobby to plead its case unlike the corporate sector which has much more reach and can use its proximity to the levers of power to achieve its goals.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
Arrest, questions
All right-thinking citizens want that corrupt leaders, above party lines, are punished but the moot question is whether such unbiased inquiry is conducted by investigating agencies. Under the BJP, the ED has acted only against the Opposition and has gone slow on fugitives.
Kshirasagara Balaji Rao,
Hyderabad
