Budget evokes mix reactions from States

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his third successive Union Budget for 2016-17 yesterday gave relief to small tax payers, prodded the rich to shell out more while focusing on the rural economy with much higher fiscal outlays. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the budget has focused on development of agriculture, farmers, women and rural areas. He said, important steps have also been taken to double the income of farmers by 2022. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that this is the first time after independence that a Budget has been made specifically for the farmers, the poor and the villages.

Industry bodies have termed the Union budget as growth oriented. President of ASSOCHAM Sunil Kanoria said, the government has rightly realized that a sustainable and equitable growth model cannot be built as long as the rural economy is in distress. FICCI President Harshavardhan Neotia said the Finance Minister has made a strong attempt to boost the rural economy and the infrastructure sector.

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has said that Union Budget lacks a clear-cut direction. Reacting to the Union



Budget presented by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, the NDA Government at the Centre continued to deprive Odisha of its legitimate share. He said, as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, the share of Odisha is lessened by about 3,500 crore rupees in 2015-16 and 4,600 crore rupees in 2016-17 from the recommended level. However, Mr Patnaik welcomed the Budget for enhanced allocations made for the agriculture, housing, drinking water and sanitation, urban livelihood and road infrastructure sectors.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said the Budget lacks both vision and conviction. In a series of tweets, Mr Gandhi said, it is mere rhetoric without vision or action and can neither fool farmers nor the poor of the country. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad termed the budget for 2016-17 as disappointing and said the proposals have belied the hopes of every section including industry, youth, farmers, women, traders and the common man. CPI(M) Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the budget focuses more on foreign capital than the people.