Click to play videoNew Delhi: “It’s a budget that lacks zing, lacks concrete steps, fails to address the problem of inflation and does not takes into account any measures either for the industry or the agriculture,” is what the opposition had to say as a reaction to Chiadambaram’s budget for fiscal year 2007-08.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s budget has got nothing for anyone, says opposition and one wonders if Chidambaram could have gone any more awry than suggesting a price cut in packaged food for cats and dogs.
“I have good news for cat and dog lovers. I have proposed a reduction in customs duties for cats and dogs food from 30 to 20 per cent,” said Chidamabaram as he presented his pedigree budget in the time of spiraling prices that didn’t go down well with either the opposition or the allies.
Political reaction to the Budget has predictably been along the party lines. And it seems clear that rising prices and the election defeats were dogging the finance minister even on the Budget day.
“What kind of exemption is this? An exemption on pet food? Is this what you call a budget for aam admi?” Left leader Mohammad Salim said.
BJP leader V. K. Malhotra, called it an “anti- aam admi, anti-farmer, anti-worker budget,” and said, “This budget has not taken any concrete steps to meet either inflation or price rise.”
The UPA government was going tom-tom about its special packages to the rural sector. But at the ground level, the budget failed to bring any hope for the distressed rural sector.
An increase in rural credit limits, death / disability insurance cover for the rural landless and the decision to increase districts under UPA's flagship rural employment guarantee act failed to pacify the UPA allies.
"Its a rubbish budget. We are unhappy and distressed," said another opposition leader.
The left is skeptical about the promises actually reaching out to the aam admi, because such financial promises often do not translate into action—as was the case with the prime ministers much hyped package for farmers in Vidarbha.
"It appears that the Finance Minister is choosing to combat inflation by adversely affecting the livelihoods and incomes of the farming community, said the CPM politburo,” said Left leader Mohammad Salim.
Only an increase in allocation in education was met with cheer. “Emphasis on the secondary education, scholarships is the only welcome step,” he added.
It was perhaps a desperate attempt to reach out to the aam admi, the vote bank and the allies. And the vulnerability showed, the Government will now have to be even more open to criticism from every corner.
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