Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 1 (ANI): West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Wednesday criticized the Union Budget 2023-24, alleging that there is nothing for the common people in the budget.
Talking to ANI, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said, “I don’t find anything in this budget for the common people. Nothing has been said about the poor people, and there is no relief that they are going to get from it.”
She also alleged that the middle class won’t benefit from the two tax structures.
“Although the government is claiming that the tax rebate will benefit the middle class, but there is a difference which has been made between the old regime tax structure and the new regime tax structure. So, I don’t think the middle class will be benefitting from it,” she said.
Attacking the government further, she said “What about the inflation? Have they done anything to cut the inflation?”
Earlier today, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget, which happens to be the last full Budget of the Modi government in its second term. This is the fifth budget presentation by Sitharaman.
This year’s Budget holds much significance as the country is scheduled to have the next Lok Sabha election in April-May 2024.
As per established tradition, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with ministers of state Pankaj Chaudhary and Bhagwat Karad and Finance Secretary T V Somanathan called on President Droupadi Murmu.
The budget session of the Parliament began on Tuesday with President’s address, subsequently tabling the Economic Survey for 2022-23. The formal exercise to prepare the annual Budget for the next financial year (2023-24) commenced on October 10.
The Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday, noted India’s GDP is expected to grow in the range of 6 to 6.8 per cent in the coming financial year 2023-24. This is in comparison to the estimated 7 per cent this fiscal and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22. (ANI)