Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 3: Welcoming the first budget of the first decade of 21st century presented by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman as a progressive, growth-oriented, wealth generating and bold budget, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also took to task the opposition parties for unnecessary criticism of the budget terming it as “ill-founded and pre-conceived.”
Elaborating further Brig Gupta said, “The budget focussed on three themes- Aspirational India, economic development and caring society”. This is what BJP has promised to the nation in its manifesto while driving the country to a five trillion economy. These objectives have been broadly addressed.
He said the budget focused on wealth and job creation. It has brought cheers to the faces of poor and middle class while at the same time it has given a boost to the start-ups. Another positive in this budget has been 100 per cent tax exemption on income on investments in all forms i.e. dividend, interest, capital gains by sovereign funds in infrastructure sector to boost the sector and provide much needed capital to this sector. Affordable housing has also been given the necessary push.”
Measures like removal of Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT), listing of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and complete sell down of Government stake in IDBI will give further boost to the economy. With emphasis on privatisation, productivity should improve in the long run, asserted Brig Gupta.
With regards to doubling the income of farmers, the budget has come out with unique proposals like launching of ‘Kisan Rail’, ‘Krishi Udaan’, Ware Housing, solar pumps, increased milk production and agricultural credit target of 15 lakh crore for 2020-21. Apart from boosting education and skills the budget for the first time caters for boosting critical strategic and path breaking technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Quantum technology. The emphasis on infrastructure to include rail, sea ports, air ports and highways will not only boost the economy but also create much needed jobs and address the issue of unemployment. The budget has also announced about two lakh jobs in various Central Government ministries, stated Brig Gupta.
Taking a dig at the Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, Brig Gupta said that he appears to be a great economist who declared the budget as “Hollow, lacking strategic ideas or anything concrete”, immediately after coming out of the Parliament and even without going through the budget. “The strategic vision of the Congress can be gauged from its election manifestoes which are full of freebies, doles and hollow promises, he added.
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