The entire country was glued to their TV Screens while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave the 90-minute-long speech regarding the Union Budget of 2022-23. Despite several schemes in education, defence and economy, the budget has failed to touch the hearts of the middle-class. Experts said that the new funding was only aimed at benefitting the rich. The Opposition was united in their criticism against the ruling government and said that the country has been reeling under the pressure of the pandemic for more than two years, yet, there were no significant initiatives to increase employment opportunities for the public.
What Have The Chief Ministers Said?
West Bengal Chief Minister tweeted, "Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment and inflation. Government is lost in big words signifying nothing. A pegasus spin budget", The Hindu reported. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also voiced a similar opinion and said that people had high budget expectations, especially during the COVID pandemic. "The budget disappointed the people. There is nothing in the budget for the general public. Nothing to reduce inflation".
'Foreign Institutions Would Only Benefit The Rich'
The Opposition critiqued the government's proposal of allowing world-class universities to be set up in the GIFT City in Gujarat and said that the Dalits and other marginalized sections of the society would be most affected. Allowing foreign universities would only benefit the rich in the country.
The government did not provide any incentives for enhancing investor-led markets, which could have channelized the growth of the corporate sector in the country. No reduction in the tax slabs has struck a rough spot with the middle-class, and the people are voicing that the government led by PM Modi does not care about the needs of the middle-class.
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