The Union Budget 2021 tabled on Monday in Parliament amid corona pandemic invoked a strong reaction from ruling alliance Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress, who slammed Nirmala Sitharaman’s budgetary address to be oblivious of economic decline in the country.
Taking a dig at the Centre, State Congress president and State finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said that the budget is negative, will propel inflation and aimed at benefiting rich and affluent people. Oraon said, “The Union Budget has ignored backward States like Jharkhand. The budget has failed to make provisions for increasing State royalty in mines and minerals extracted from State.” Oraon claimed that the railway budget, which is part of the union budget, has no mention of increasing railway connectivity in the State.
He said, “The people of State were hopeful that four districts of State which are untouched with railway connectivity will get railway lines, but the budget has once again failed to meet people expectations of these regions.” He further said that BJP leaders have been beating drums on doubling farmers’ income, but there are no such provisions for increasing farmers’ income in the budget. The budget is utter disappointment for farmers, workers, small traders and businessmen.
Echoing the views of State Finance minister, JMM general secretary and party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “The Union Budget has been made keeping in mind elections in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The highway and road projects in these states have been announced keeping elections in mind.”
Bhattacharya also said that the budget is in direction of disinvestment of major public sector units such as LIC, Air India and others. Sitharaman announced that the Centre will introduce the initial public offer (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation LTD. (LIC) in 2022 and will complete the divestments of Air India by 2022.
The JMM leader claimed that cut in corporate taxes is in direction of providing relief to select corporate houses. Bhattacharya said, “The budget is anti-poor, against the federal structure, no relief to students, workers, farmers and middle class.”
Former union minister and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay said in the present budget there is no change in Income tax slab, it was expected that there will be some concession seeing the present pandemic where many have lost jobs and many industries have been closed. “Tax slab should have been rationalized. Fiscal deficit has been pegged at 9.5 per cent of the GDP which is at an all-time high,” added Sahay.
However, BJP has hailed the Union Budget. Former Chief Minister and BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi said that this budget is dedicated to village, poor, farmers and laborers. He said, the budget focus on rural economy at the same time it is a step in making Country self-sufficient by strengthening agriculture.
Also, reacting to the Union Budget, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that this budget is a step of laying the foundation of a self-reliant India. The budget has been prepared keeping in mind the new India and self-reliant India. This budget of 2021-22, presented amidst the corona epidemic, follows the mantra of Local for Vocal and is in the interest of 130 crore Indians.
He said that the health sector has been given the highest priority in budget. Rs 2.23 lakh crore has been arranged under the health sector. A provision of Rs 2.87 lakh crore has been made in Har Ghar Jal Yojana. For laying a network of roads through the Bharatmala Yojana, a special package for farmers has also been announced.
Echoing the views of Das, State BJP president Deepak Prakash said that the budget is in the step of strengthening India at the same time paving all-round development of Country. He said that with the self-reliant India package, the possibilities of development of Jharkhand through Northeast Corridor are contained in this budget, which should be taken advantage of by the state government.
State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said that the Union Budget has brought a ray of hope in the country recovering from the Corona pandemic. The provision of Rs 35000 crores for the corona vaccination is also a big achievement. Not only the metro rail network is being extended, a provision of Rs 18000 crore has also been made for public bus transport service. A target of earning Rs 1,75,000 crore through disinvestment has been set, which will be spent in the Garib Kalyan Yojana. In the last 6 years, there have been major improvements in the field of agriculture, due to which, on the one hand, pulses procurement has increased 40 times in 2020 as compared to 2014, while the purchase of paddy has also increased almost 3 times compared to 2013-14. The 'One Nation One Ration Card' is also being run in 32 States and union territories for migrant labourers. It has been decided to strengthen the infrastructure of 15000 schools in the field of education. For SC / ST students, the amount given in 758 Eklavya School has been increased to Rs 30 crores. The princely states have also continued in the electronic, mobile, iron steel, textile and chemical industries.
State President of Jharkhand Professional Congress Aditya Vikram Jaiswal said that the budget is a political budget as building an economic corridor in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Bengal has been made by looking at upcoming elections. The budget is for big industrialists and not for the general public and unemployment was a big problem in the Corona epidemic. No package of creating employment has been made in the budget.