Describing the Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as "anti-poor, anti-rural and anti-growth," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday remarked that Mr. Jaitley had thrown away the good opportunity provided by various factors, including the reduction in inflation, to present a growth-oriented Budget.
"The present scenario which has indicated that the country’s economy is on the path to recovery due to reduction in inflation mainly due to the fall in prices of oil prices in the international market had provided a good opportunity after a long time to present a Budget that would have given impetus to growth. But Mr. Jaitley has failed to make use of such an opportunity," Mr. Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said at a press conference in Bengaluru.
While priority sectors like agriculture and education had been neglected and people’s hope of a raise in the income tax exemption limit had not been fulfilled, the Union Budget had tried to help corporates by reducing corporate tax, he said. He alleged that the Centre appeared to be “pro-corporate”.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had expected Mr. Jaitley to give importance for agriculture, rural development and education. But none of these sectors had got the required support in the Budget, he alleged.
"The overall impression about the Budget is that there is nothing great about this as it has used only flowery language to describe things rather than pronouncing concrete measures and schemes," he remarked.
At the same time, he welcomed the announcement of sanctioning an Indian Institute of Technology in Karnataka, besides developing the World Heritage Site of Hampi.
‘Fund cut in central projects has nullified additional devolution of taxes’
Mr. Siddaramaiah on Saturday alleged that the recent decision of the Centre to increase the devolution of its taxes to the States by 10 per cent, in tune with the recommendation by the 14th Finance Commission, had been neutralised by the huge reduction of funds for the Union government-sponsored projects in the Budget.
Citing an example at a press conference here, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Central allocation to the country’s education sector had reduced by Rs. 32,912 crore and to housing schemes for poor had reduced by Rs. 14,887 crore. This will increase financial burden on States, he said.
Taking exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme was the “epitome of Congress’ failure”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said such remarks were not in good taste.