Unfair & with fear

EVEN as The Tribune, founded by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia as the epitome of fair and fearless journalism, celebrates its 141st anniversary, it is unfortunate that at present both the print and electronic media do not possess these characteristics, and instead, they are behaving in a fearful and unfair manner. Newspaper reading and listening to news, debates, etc., on TV have become useless as there is no fair and fearless presentation of things happening all around us, and which the common people are encountering every day. The standard and values have fallen.

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SS Verma, Longowal

Measured steps

Refer to ‘Focus on spending’; the focus of the budget has been on ramping up public sector capital spending. The Centre’s own Capex for the coming fiscal is budgeted at Rs 7.5 lakh crore, which is Rs 2 lakh crore higher than the 2021-22 revised estimates and more than double Rs 3.36 lakh crore in 2019-20. This step up in government expenditure in the form of investment as opposed to consumption is bold, and welcome. The extension of the credit guarantee scheme by another year is a wise decision. For the sake of optics, credit should be given to the minister for presenting the PM Gati Shakti scheme with four pillars and seven engines; it covers almost all of India’s requirements.

SS Paul, Nadia

Now, get on with it

Reference to ‘Focus on spending’, the hallmark of this year’s fiscal budget is the big push to Capex. It is being touted as a magic wand which shall be a panacea for all economic ills of society, including joblessness. But the past track record of the government of the day inspires little confidence. It promised the moon in the preceding years which unfortunately turned out to be dud. The most noteworthy feature of every Budget is that the government goes into slumber after presenting it and at the end of the fiscal year, gears up to prepare a list of flimsy excuses for its failures. Even if the government accomplishes a fraction of what is articulated, it shall be praiseworthy. By all accounts, the Budget is more often a pie in the sky. It is facetious to take it seriously.

Deepak Singhal, Noida

Mere gimmick

Surprisingly, the Budget presented by the Finance Minister is nothing more than a gimmick played on the poor, employees and farmers. The defence budget is invariably determined keeping in view the threat perception, but to the amazement of experts, it is brought down to 2.3 per cent of GDP, whereas China being our major adversary is spending four times of this figure on defence. The PM has stamped this Budget as a 100-year blueprint of our economic growth. When the promise of creating two crore vacancies is gathering dust in the government ministries, it is presumed that the promise of 60 lakh jobs seems to be a jumla. For farmers, direct payment for their produce is the only solace, but there is no mention of doubling their income in the Budget proceedings. Even though the government’s drive to lay more roads might help in promoting industry, but lack of market is a major hurdle the industrialists are likely to face. Capitalism seems to be the first priority of the government, and as a result of this, society will face a wide divide between the ultra poor and ultra rich.

COL KULDIP S GREWAL (RETD), PATIALA

All for corporate

The FM has politely said ‘thank you’ to honest taxpayers and the hard-pressed middle class. The emphasis in the Budget is more on the distant future and less on the present concerns. Tightening the purse strings towards subsidies to the farm sector and even MGNREGA allocations, but a favourable bias towards the corporate sector are not amiss, though in line with the credentials of the government notwithstanding its public posturing. Perhaps it could have been more liberal and innovative towards the unorganised sector to provide active support, recognising the ground realities of the post pandemic phase. The subtle recognition of digital currency is in the right direction. The taxation rate of 30%, though, is punitive in nature and could have been moderate in line with the capital gain tax or income slab based.

GP CAPT JS BOPARAI (RETD), BHADSALI

Rupee cycle

‘Rupee cycle of the Union Budget’ provides a specific view of the coming and going of money. It mentions 8% on defence and 4% on pensions but education and health as separate heads are missing. Besides, a separate budget head of professionally well-qualified youth is a must for a viable balance in the overall scheme of things. A provision for Rs 5.5 crore under the National Mental Health Programme is a step forward. The FM has done a good job, throwing the ball to the citizens of India, both responsible and not so responsible. India is moving ahead with contradictions that form the challenges, as the Union Budget puts forth.

Jagvinder Singh Brar, Patiala

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