Homemakers give PC thumbs down

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New Delhi: For the Seth family, watching the Union Budget 2007 was a blow-hot, blow-cold experience.

Family head Deepak Seth, a restaurant owner, had reason to cheer considering the import duty cut on edible oils and no excise duty in ready-to-eat foods.

“Expenses on mixes are down. Catering business use this a lot,” says Deepak.

But while the bread-earner rejoiced, the homemaker rued. “My husband is a businessman, so he has an advantage. But it has made no difference to me. Oil price does not impact me,” says Deepak’s wife, Poonam.

Ponnam's sentiment is echoed by other homemakers across the country.

“The prices of cooking gas are not down. So national budget does not help my family budget,” says another homemaker Geeta Sreedharan.

Considering the responses, this year’s budget was anything but an all-out dreamboat as far as prices of essential goods were concerned.

Chidambaram did ensure respite in small ways like prices of cooking oil, shoes, umbrellas, packaged foods - small things that may help the spending poor, making them feel better.

“If expensive things like chappals and umbrellas become cheaper, I’ll buy them,” says household help Kalawati Seth.

Prices apart, it was a mixed bag even as far as direct taxes are concerned.

While many cheered the Rs-10,000 hike in tax exemption limit, it was somewhat dampened by the one per cent additional educational cess.

“Tax limit is up, so more money remains with us. But with the rise in costs, it may not help much,” says senior citizen Shas Mokashi. Looks like Chidambaram has taken the old adage of “good things in small packages” to heart while addressing the common man in this year's budget.

Cheaper		Expensive
	Pet food		Pulses
	Footwear		Grains
	Cell phones		Vegetables
	Low-value Cement		Tea
	Diamond jewellery		Motorcycles
	Sunflower oil		Scooters