Tag: Lok Sabha

Initiating the discussion on Budget 2022-23, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the Budget had betrayed hopes and aspirations of the people.

“The expectation was that the government would acknowledge the unprecedented levels of unemployment, which has left countless citizens, especially the young, with little prospect for a brighter tomorrow,” Tharoor said. “Admit that one-fifth of India’s population has plunged a staggering 53% in the last five years in their income.”

He said while the wealth of the richest 100 Indians has soared to Rs 57 lakh crore, 4.7 crore Indians have slipped to extreme poverty.

“Acknowledge,” he said, addressing the government, “that the Indian middle class has been left defenseless in the face of rising inflation, shrinking incomes and the consequent acceleration of household debt. Recognise the widespread distress and the anguish in the agrarian economy. Concede that all these misfortunes were avoidable misadventures of your style of governance. A style of governance that prioritises one-man rule over conversation, a style that demands conformity rather than seeking consensus.”

DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran called the Budget “anti-federal and anti-people”.

“This government is completely ignoring people’s welfare,” he said. More than 50% of the Budget estimate is going to be borrowed. So, basically you are going to sell and beg. Of the entire Budget, interest payment alone is Rs 9.7 lakh crore and capital expenditure is over Rs 7 lakh crore. Only Rs 3.36 lakh crore is left for development expenditure.”

He also accused the government of being biased against states not governed by BJP.

“You have done nothing for farmers,” Maran said. “You have not even broached the subject of MSP. MNREGA budget has been slashed by Rs 25,000 crore, even though demand for jobs rose due to the pandemic,” he said.

Calling the Budget “disappointing”, TMC’s Sudeep Bandopadhyay said it “contributes nothing to the common people”.

Tharoor said the Budget proposed creation of an “inadequate” 60 lakh jobs in five years, which is “a far cry from 2 crore jobs the government had promised in the equally illusory ‘acche din (good days, a reference to BJP’s earlier ad slogan)’.”.

He said there are reductions in budgeting for social welfare schemes, and significant cuts in schemes for crop insurance, minimum support price (MSP) and fertliser, which has left many farmers’ groups to term this as a “revenge Budget”.

The Congress leader also said there is no meaning of GDP growth unless one is concerned about public welfare. He tore into the government over rise in fuel and gas prices, besides rising food prices. He said corporate surcharge had been reduced from 12% to 7% but no tax relief was given to the middle class.

“Unemployment is pegged at 6.75 % as of January. This is welcome improvement from 7.9% in the previous month. It is still higher than the worst unemployment rate in the country in the past 45 years,” Tharoor said. “India’s unemployment rate has grown faster than Bangladesh and Vietnam.

“In the last two years 84% of households have suffered a loss of income, even as per capita income has fallen. The UPA pulled 27 crore Indians out of poverty, this government has pushed back 47 crore people into poverty.”

He also criticized the government over reduction in MGNREGA allocations. “The reduced MGNREGA allocation in the Budget blatantly ignores on-ground reality. Experts have consistently pointed out that MGNREGA needs Rs 1.34 lakh crore, but this government has allocated only Rs 73,000 crore. At the current allocation government will be able to provide just 16-20 days of work,” he said.

Tharoor said rising inequality threatens the social fabric of this country.

“We have already seen this during the railway recruitment exams, where 1.25 crore applied for 35,000 listed jobs,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. “This grave unemployment threatens to convert our demographic dividend into a demographic disaster. It required a sense of urgency and purpose from the government, which is missing in all this talk of ‘Amrit Kal’.”

Calling the Budget “long on promises but short on effect”, Trinamool’s Sudip Bandopadhyay said, “(There is) no sign of any overall reform. This is a sell-India budget: Air India, NILL, LIC — all sold. This government is in the mood to sell all PSUs. We totally oppose this idea.”

He said, “Unemployment has skyrocketed. Big industries cannot generate the kind of employment that MSMEs can. Government should focus on them.”

Raising the issue of state funding of elections, Bandopadhyay said, “What is the thinking of the government regarding state funding of elections? The Indrajit Gupta committee broadly placed that all recognised political parties will be extended support for their candidates to contest elections. It was an all-party resolution also. State funding of elections is a necessity at this time.