Last Update: February 01, 2023, 19:07 IST
PM Chidambaram said, there was no reduction in the prices of petrol, diesel, cement and fertilizer (file photo)
Congress leader P Chidambaram insisted that no tax has been reduced except for a small number who have opted for the new tax regime.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday claimed that the Union Budget has betrayed the expectations of the vast majority of Indians and shows how far the government is from the people and their concerns about life, livelihood and the growing disparity between the rich and the poor. Huh. poor.
At a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, the former finance minister termed the budget as “disgusting” and said the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman The words unemployment, poverty, inequality or equity have not been mentioned anywhere in his budget speech “I begin with regret by pointing out that the Finance Minister has not mentioned the words unemployment, poverty, inequality or equity anywhere in his speech. Not mentioned. Mercifully, he has mentioned the word poor twice in his speech. I’m sure people India Will take note of who are in the concerns of the government and who are not,” Chidambaram said.
He insisted that no taxes have been reduced except for a small number who have opted for the new tax regime.
“No indirect tax has been reduced. There has been no reduction in the draconian and irrational GST rates. There has been no reduction in the prices of petrol, diesel, cement, fertilizers etc. There has been no cut in several surcharges and cesses, which are anyway not shared with the state governments,” Chidambaram said.
“Who has benefited from this budget? Certainly not poor. Not a desperate youth looking for a job. Not those who have been fired. Majority of taxpayers do not. Not a housewife Not the thinking Indian who is appalled by rising inequality, rising number of billionaires and accumulation of wealth in the hands of 1 per cent of the population. Certainly not you,” he said.
Chidambaram alleged that the government was determined to propel the fortunes of the “gift city”, Ahmedabad, at the expense of other commercial and financial centres.
“The government is also determined to push the ‘new’ tax regime, for which there are few takers for a variety of reasons.
“Moreover, making the new tax regime the default option is grossly unfair and will deprive the ordinary taxpayer of the meager social security available under the old tax regime,” the Congress leader said.
He said it was a “disgusting” budget that betrayed the hopes of most people.
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