All rhetoric, nothing real: CM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

Trashing the Union Budget as high on pomposity and low on tangibles, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday said the economy was clearly not a priority for the BJP-led Union Government, which was too busy pursuing its “negative and divisive” agenda.

“Far from reviving business sentiment, the non-visionary Budget, which reflected the Union Government’s apathy to the needs and aspirations of the people, would plunge the economy further to abysmal depths,” warned Capt Amarinder.

Pointing to the Finance Minister’s failure to even mention the economic slowdown of 2019-20, the Chief Minister said this showed that the Centre had no intention of addressing the problems faced by the economy. The Budget has dashed the hopes of one and all, with the famers still waiting for a solution to their debt stress and the challenge of stubble burning, the industry feeling ignored, and the youth still waiting for the light at the end of the dark tunnel into which this government has thrown them.

The CM also flayed the Centre’s failure to address the concern of the states, including Punjab, on the delay in the release of GST compensation. “Where will we get money for the development of our state?” he asked. “Another area of serious concern for Punjab and other states is the decision to limit the GST compensation fund to collections under GST cess,” said the Chief Minister. This, he warned, would further add to the problems of the states, which were already suffering immensely from the prolonged delays in getting their share of the GST revenue.

The CM lamented the step-fatherly treatment given to Punjab in the Budget, which had failed to make any outlay for the celebration of the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak and the upcoming 400th Gurpurb of Guru Tegh Bahadur or for the promotion of Sikh culture and heritage.

Rs 10 cr for enhanced relief to ’84 riot victims

New Delhi: With Rs10 crore for enhanced compensation to 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, the Budget allocated Rs1,116 to the Delhi Government as grant and Rs8,242 crore to the city police. As per the Budget document under the expenditure heads, the government in the National Capital has been given Rs325 crore as share in Central taxes. An amount of Rs10 crore has also been given to it for paying enhanced compensation to the 1984 Sikh riot victims. TNS

LEADERSPEAK

The Budget has attempted at making structural changes in agriculture, horticulture and pisciculture through 16 action points. This will make India a major player in agro and allied sector exports and double farm income.— Sharad Kumar Saraf, president, Federation of Indian export organisations

The allocation of Rs99,300 crore for the education sector and Rs3,000 crore for skill development is a positive step towards the overhaul of the education set-up. The new policy will standardise the education system.— Monica Malhotra Kandhari, MD , MBD Group

Punjab units make India the second largest maker of bicycles in the world after China. Despite this, there is no special package for the industry nor any technology upgrade. — Rajeev Jain, Gen Secy, Federation of industrial and commercial organisation

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