Budget flatters to deceive, say residents

Gurdeep Singh Mann

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 28

City residents today gave pulsating reactions to the Union Budget but failed to opine what worthwhile changes this budget could bring in their lives.

Seeking greater attention for the middle and lower class the residents comprising businessmen, salaried, housewives, pensioners and freedom fighters expressed their notions about the budget.

While the salaried class stated that there is no change in the tax slabs which has pour water on their expectations of thinking ‘achhe din’.

“I expected that an increase in the personal income tax exemption from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh but it is not changed and has disappointed the majority of the salaried class”, said Bhupinder Singh, working in power sector and resides in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar with his three grown up children in a four bedroom house.

He however lament that the government has reduced the corporate tax from 30 percent to 25 percent for next four years which will benefit the influential business houses. “This is done in the garb of boosting the job creations in these business houses but it will hardly help in eradicating the rising unemployment”, said 22 years old Sonu Garg, though graduate but looks after his father’s grocery shop on Ajit Road. He added that people like him hardly find anything worthwhile in this budget.

He said that the rise in service tax from 12.36 percent to 14 percent is exactly contrary to the achhe din claimed by the Modi Government.

“The restaurant, mobile bills and others will increase for common man with increase in the service tax,” said another Pardeep Kumar, a financer residing in Parasram Nagar.

On education front, the city residents hail the announcement of AIIMS in Punjab besides J&K, HP, Bihar and Assam. Bathinda MP and Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries too has hailed the decision of setting up of AIIMS in Punjab and expect it to come up in Bathinda.

Rajwinder Brar, a schoolteacher, said that the budget, however, is almost silent over the education policies and she failed to hear anything vital except the AIIMS.

Vijay Goyal, general secretary of the Freedom Fighter Lala Sant Ram Memorial Trust, Bathinda, lamented that the budget failed to come up with anything for the freedom fighters.

“We watch the proceedings of the Union Budget with hope of something for the freedom fighters but failed to get anything,” Vijay Goyal said.

He lamented that a former Deputy Commissioner—Gurkiratkirpal Singh—a few years ago, had announced to release books or Rs 25,000 cash but they were yet to get the same.

“Instead of giving anything, the government even snatched the office of the trust by demolishing the government houses situated in the heart of the city adjoining the Power House Road to pave the way for setting up of the flats. But neither the flats came up nor was the land is utilised for any other purpose,” he said. Also a senior citizen, Goyal declared the budget as old wine in new bottle.

Deepak Kumar, a shop owner, residing in Ganesh Nagar with his wife and a 7-year-old son said the rise in the petrol and diesel prices will also be having an adverse impact and would increase the transportation cost.

Dharampal Kalra—a grocery shop owner residing in Parasram Nagar with his wife and a school-going child too laments that there is hardly anything for the welfare of the middle, upper middle or the salaried class people.