Budget Expectations

Give some relief to salaried class

The Service class is suffering a lot and it has become almost impossible for them to even buy a car. Interest rates have gone up and thinking of taking a home loan also seems a distant dream. It’s very important that the government reduces the tax and think about salaried class. Whenever the government presents the Budget, we get really hopeful. But every time our hopes get dashed.

— Ravneet Kaur, Banker

Revive grants for education sector

Earlier the University Grants Commission was a great help for higher education

in terms of providing infrastructure, equipment and research. But, during the previous Budgets, the government didn’t include this in their agendas. In order to provide better higher education, it’s important to take UGC into the picture, again and grants should be revived.

— Jaspal Singh Randhawa, educationist

Need R&D centre for spots industry

For the sports industry, we have been raising a demand for a provision of the R&D centre in the state. We have also been demanding to decrease the import duty on raw material that we use for manufacturing of goods. Also, there used to be a state trading corporation which used to provide raw material here, but for the past 10-15 years, the centre is lying in deplorable condition. The government must do something to revive the centre so that the industry could survive.

— Ravinder Dhir, industrialist

Expand Khelo India programme

I really want the government to expand Khelo India programme to the grassroot level. There is also a huge dearth of coaches and infrastructure in villages and rural areas, so that the player can get proper training the way players preparing for international level tournaments get. The inclusion of sports and physical education as a compulsory subject in schools should also be considered for wholesome development of the country.

— Gurinder Singh Sangha, sports lecturer