Women and girls were happy with the provisions made by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget for 2017-18. They welcomed Budget announcements specially to help expecting mothers and lowering of tax rate by five per cent.
Raunika Kalra, owner of Azura studio in Deep Market Ashok Vihar, said, “I started my studio a year back, right now my turnover as well as profit is not so high. The reduction in income tax rate has given me a big relief. The Finance Minister has not only exempted income tax up to Rs 3 lakh but has also reduced the tax rate by five per cent up to the income of Rs 5 lakh”. “I don’t have to think about it as I have still not crossed that income tax limit. I would be paying comparatively less tax,” she added.
Aditi Bhalla, a student who has just completed her graduation, welcomed the Budget proposal for creation of thousands of post graduate seats. “Even though everybody doesn’t plan post-graduation but when such schemes are introduced it gives an encouragement to the students to at least give it a try,” she said.
Priyanka Mongia, a Chartered Accountant, appreciated the property schemes announced in the Union Budget and said, “People now can take the long-term benefits on their properties that they own for 24 months and more which was earlier 36 months. It will also help the single mothers or women who stay alone and want to move from one place to another due to any reason. I am happy with the change in income tax slabs.”
After demonetisation people were not expecting a good Budget, she said adding, “But I am glad that it has met our expectations.”
Domestic helps, who work in different households and hardly know about the Budget, were ecstatic after they heard about the Indira Gandhi Maternity Benefit Scheme to grant Rs 6,000 to expecting women. Chaman Rani, a maid, said, “It is good to hear that the Government is actually doing something for us.”
When told that the Government has announced schemes for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, she said now her son can hope to get employment. “My daughter-in-law is pregnant and she will definitely avail the scheme which has been introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, Rani added.
Mridula Gupta, housewife thinks that the intension of the whole Budget sends positive vibes. “I am impressed with the encouragement which has been given to digital payment as now nobody wants to carry cash and it is not even safer do so. Though this will take a few years for the country to make it a practice but sooner or later people will adapt it,” she added, “I expected more decrease in the tax rates but these are also reasonable and a good beginning has been made by the Finance Minister,” Gupta further said.
Shruti Nagpal, a Professor with the IP University, said, “The best thing in this Budget is the changes in tax slab as it is that time of the year where you are asked to file the returns and you need to give details about all the investments made.”
Jaya, a woman in the low income group, said, “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas begins with girls and woman and the Budget will help women like her”.