Union Budget Exposes Centre’s Total Apathy to Common Man, Middle Classs & Farmers, Says Punjab CM

Chandigarh, February 1 - Rejecting the Union Budget for2020-21 as reflective of the BJP-led central government’s total apathy towardsthe common man, the middle class and the farmers, Punjab Chief Minister CaptainAmarinder Singh on Monday said even the vital sector of Defence

had not been adequately addressed despite the growing borderthreat from China and Pakistan, while Health allocation was actually down amidthe Covid crisis.

Trashing the Centre’s claim that the Health sector allotmenthad been increased by 35%, the Chief Minister said the fact was that numbershad been effectively fudged to project a hike by including the Rs 35000 croreCovid vaccine allotment and the amount set aside for Sanitation & Cleanlinessunder the Health head. Actually, the budget for Health was down 10%, he added.

 The Chief Minister also slammed the Centre for thestepmotherly treatment meted out to Punjab and other northern states in thebudget, which was designed to cater to the poll-bound state of West Bengal, aswell as south India, with a massive infrastructure development allocation forthese regions. “The  budget alsomanifests the central government’s persistent efforts to sideline non-BJPstates like ours, as well as its anti-federal mindset,” said the ChiefMinister, pointing to the gap between the Fiscal Deficit targets fixed for theUnion and States for short and medium term.

Also read: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Hands over Rs. 1 Crore Cheque to Widow of Slain Constable Jagmohan Singh

Aimed at promoting the interests of a few corporates at thecost of the needs and aspirations of the remaining 1.3+ billion population, thebudget presented in Parliament today by the Union Government failed to addressthe growing problem of unemployment, which the Covid pandemic had exacerbated,said the Chief Minster.

 “And did the Finance Minister not find it necessary to evenmention constitutional guarantee for MSP, one of the key demands of the farmersbattling cold and lathis at the doorstep of New Delhi for over two months now?”asked Captain Amarinder, lamenting the measly 2% hike for Agriculture sector,which had been the only well performing sector for the country amid thelockdown.

 The Chief Minister also flayed the Centre’s minimal focus onEducation, which has seen a massive setback for lakhs of children hit by thedigital divide amid the pandemic. “It seems that this government has no care orconcern for our soldiers fighting to protect us at the borders, or ourfrontline healthcare workers and also the teachers who have been pushed to thelimits to ensure seamless service in the midst of Covid,” he added.

 With no tax relief, the beleaguered middle class has alsogot nothing in this budget, he pointed out, adding that as against 25% for thecorporate sector, the middle class will continue to pay 35% plus cess, alongwith 100% indirect tax on petrol and diesel.

 The Chief Minister expressed shock over the Centre’sdecision to go in for a virtual wholesale divestment of PSUs and governmentassets at a time when the economy was in the dumps. This was inexplicable,considering that the RSS had always vehemently opposed such divestment, andalso given the Centre’s self-proclaimed thrust on `Atmanirbhar Bharat’, headded.

 The entire budget was a big let-down for every section ofthe society, except the big corporates whom the BJP-led central government isout to appease at the cost of the interests of the rest, said the ChiefMinister. The only somewhat positive note was the increase in the Revenue Grantfor deficit states from Rs 75,000 cr to Rs 1,85,000 cr, he said, hoping thatthe Centre does not get out of giving Punjab its substantial share on thiscount.