Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB/EP)
Udupi, Feb 2: “The budget for 2019-2020 presented by union minister of finance is a historical milestone and is the only budget which has touched the people in unprecedented manner,” said district BJP president Mattar Rathnaker Hegde in a press release.
“The centre has consented to form a separate ministry for fishermen, which was the main demand of fishermen for a long time. Distribution of cooking gas to more than
eight crore people under Ujwala scheme, reservation of Rs 19,000 crore for Pradhan Mantri Sadak project, aiming to have one lac digital villages, increase of income tax limit to Rs five lac, transfer of Rs 6,000 per year to the bank accounts of farmers, increase of ESI income limit from Rs 15,000 to Rs 21,000 interest free loan for education and increase in gratuity for the employed from Rs ten lacs to Rs thirty lacs are measures in the budget which are beneficial to the common man. Therefore, we have to say namo namo to the finance minister and the Prime minister,” he said.
On the contrary, Janardhan Thonse, president of Udupi district Congress criticized the lack of encouragement to farm production and small scale industries. “Tax exemption when elections are approaching is an election gimmick. The budget is disappointing, lacks thoughts of development and presented with elections in mind,” he said.
Bhasker Rao Kidiyoor, spokesman of Udupi district congress committee stated that there is no clarity regarding development in the budget. “BJP led government at the centre had skinned people by bringing all the items under tax regime and now all of a sudden there are exemptions. BJP had not made up its mind to raise income tax limit during the last four budgets from Rs 2.5 lac but increased it suddenly to Rs 5 lac now when elections are approaching. The budget has failed to create jobs. There is no support for agriculture and small scale industries. The centre has announced Rs 3,572 crore for farmers. But the state government has condoned Rs 48,000 crore loans from them. The budget does not have clarity about development,” he said.