News Analysis India

Tag: Union Budget 2021

  • Highest ever spending under MNREGA during FY21: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has removed all ills from the rural-employment guarantee scheme MNREGA and spent highest ever about Rs 90,500 crore so far this fiscal.

    Replying to the Budget debate in the Rajya Sabha, the minister attacked the opposition Congress failing to utilise the entire amount allocated in the Budgets when they were in power.

    ALSO READ | Nirmala Sitharaman slams Opposition for creating false narrative, says govt working for poor sections

    She said during the COVID pandemic year, the government has spent Rs 90,469 crore under the MNREGA rural employment scheme, which highest ever.

    Sitharaman said for 2020-21, the budget estimate was Rs 61,500 crore for the scheme, which has been increased to Rs 1,11,500 in the revised estimates.

    “Your track record is bad. Never your budget estimate was met,” the finance minister said as she reeled out data from 2009-10 and subsequent years under the Congress-led UPA regime.

  • Opposition parties slam govt over Union Budget in Rajya Sabha, say nothing in it for common man

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha on Friday charged that the Union Budget serves the interests of capitalists that will help the rich turn richer and has nothing for the common man, even as the BJP defended saying it has earmarked funds for all including strengthening of health sector.

    Participating in the debate on the budget, leaders of parties like the Congress, BSP, AAP and Left launched an all-out attack on the BJP government for allegedly selling off the country’s assets and PSUs to big industrialists.

    Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that the budget helped the rich capitalists and was asking the poor, the oppressed and the downtrodden to become ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-sufficient).

    He alleged that the cess imposed by the government was an attempt by it to deprive the states of their share in taxes.

    He alleged that PM Narendra Modi recently quoted his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Sharad Pawar selectively and out of context on the issue of farm reforms, and recalled that he, as Gujarat chief minister, had recommended a law to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers.

    “The country is passing through a bad time due to decisions like demonetisation and the GST.

    The government is helping and supporting the big people and is asking the poor, the weaker and the downtrodden to become ‘artmanirbhar’,” Gohil alleged.

    BJP leader and union minister Anurag Thakur attacked opposition parties, asking them not to use farmers for their political gains and asserted that the three new farm laws will help in doubling income of peasants.

    He challenged the opposition leaders to show him if it is written anywhere in the three laws that the regime of mandis and MSP would come to an end due to the legislation.

    “We are committed to double the income of the farmers,” Thakur said.

    Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) lauded the government for providing over Rs 27.1 lakh crore, which is 13 per cent of GDP, under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in three financial packages.

    He also noted that the government is ready to talk to farmers on agri bills with an open heart and mind.

    On the issue of privatisation, he quoted former Prime Minister Charan Singh, who in his book had talked about loss-making PSUs due to mismanagement and corruption.

    Binoy Biswam (CPI) charged that in the name of ‘atmanirbhar’, this budget is clearly helping capitalists.

    “Is this the model of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ that you surrender everything to capitalists. This government can be called a government of FDI for capitalists. Don’t try to cheat people, as it is time they understood this,” he alleged.

    Biswam alleged that the government is selling everything from air to sea to land and even underground and is “blindly following” the capitalist model.

    Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda (JDS) said the finance minister has provided for all that is required to deal with the pandemic in this budget.

    He was of the view that privatization is not always good for all sectors as sometime it creates private monopoly also.

    Ashok Siddharth (BSP) said there is nothing in this budget for the common man as it is trying to sell the country’s assets and PSUs.

    “This government wants the rich to turn richer and the poor poorer,” he charged, adding that it is not fair to give away the rights of poor, Dalits to industrialists.

    The BSP member said the interests of SCs/STs and OBC are being hurt the most through privatisation and asked the government to bring a law to enforce reservation for SC/ST/OBC in the private sector.

    Sanjay Singh (AAP) charged that the government was selling off everything to private companies and big industrialists.

    Participating in the debate, Satish Chandra Misra of BSP asked the government to waive the customs duty on the import of radiation machines used for treatment of cancer patients.

    India is recording 12 lakh new cases of cancer every year.

    Besides, the country is witnessing around 5.5 lakh death every year, which is even higher than the total mortality of 1.5 lakh from COVID-19 in India, on which the government has spent more than Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine only.

    “Death by cancer is increasing every year and according to WHO report which is alarming, says every one among 15 people in India face the risk of cancer,” he said adding.

    According to Misra, all machines used for radiation therapy are either imported from Sweden or the USA.

    Now in the budget, customs duty on radiation machines has been increased to 27.4 per cent “Instead of encouraging, the government has increased the tax to 27.4 per cent from 20 per cent, which include customs duty, health cess, social welfare and GST,” he said asking the government to look into this aspect as it would earn only Rs 120 crore.

    Abdul Wahab of the IUML said the budget has failed to give any attention to farmers, students, migrant labourers, minorities and backward communities.

    Wahab also raised the issue of allocation of funds for a campus of Aligarh Muslim University at Malappuram and difficulties faced by retired army personnel in getting One Rank One Pension (OROP), to which Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur assured to look into.

    “OROP was pending for 30 to 40 years and the only person, who was able to implement it, is Narendra Modi. Thousands of crore rupees have been given to ex-servicemen,” Thakur said.

    Shiv Pratap Shukla of the BJP termed the budget as progressive.

    According to him during the pandemic, the Modi government gave priority to health and not to economic growth.

  • Budget 2021-22 reflects dismal state of India’s economy: Opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday termed the union budget for 2021-22 as one “for the rich and by the rich” that reflected a “painful story” of the country and bankruptcy of its economy.

    Various parties including the Congress, TMC, SP and left parties hit out at the government over the state of the economy and rising unemployment and alleged that the Modi dispensation was out to sell the country’s assets.

    Participating in the debate on the union budget, Congress leader P Chidambaram tore into the government for presenting a “disappointing” budget and described it as a “budget for the rich, of the rich and by the rich” meant for only “one per cent of India’s population controlling 73 per cent wealth”.

    Rejecting the budget, the former finance minister hit out at the ruling dispensation, charging it with “incompetent economic management”.

    Participating in a debate on the budget, he said, “The sub-text is, this is a budget for the rich, of the rich and by the rich….There is nothing for the poor people of India, who continue to suffer….This is a budget for those one per cent who control 73 per cent of India’s wealth.”

    He said the government is in denial about the slowdown in the economy and believed that the problem in the economy is cyclical and not structural.

    “Two years of slowdown before the coronavirus is a reality,” he said.

    Chidambaram alleged that the country has witnessed three years of “incompetent economic mismanagement”.

    “Mark my words, the growth projections will fall short by the end of 2021,” the former finance minister asserted.

    TMC member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said the budget reflects the bankruptcy in the Indian economy.

    “The Budget has shown certain dreams that even the Economic Survey has not talked about them,” he said.

    Stating that the budget outlines a “painful story”, Ray said neither does it have the government’s story nor that of the Opposition or that of the common man.

    All it has is a painful story, he alleged.

    He further said the Economic Survey pegged the country’s growth at 11 per cent for the 2021-22 fiscal but the Budget document projected more than this at 14.4 per cent.

    “On January 4, the World Bank global report estimated India’s GDP to plunge 9.6 per cent. However, a spokesperson of the government says such a report should not be relied upon. Till date, we don’t know about the revised estimate. How do we reject the World Bank Report and how do we trust your figures,” he asked.

    Ignoring these reports, the government is showing the dream of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” to everyone, he added.

    On labour laws, the Trinamool Congress leader said the six labour laws have been amended for the benefit of corporates and termed it as an “anti-labour step”.

    “The hire and fire policy shall prevail upon the working conditions of the workers. The working hours will be extended from 8 hours to 12 hours at the dictates of corporates. This is going to happen when the labour laws will be implemented,” Ray said, asking, “Who will give the consent? If employees don’t give, they will lose their jobs”.

    There is a “vast army” of unemployed people and it will lead to a law and order problem in the coming days, he warned.

    CPI (M) member Elamaram Kareem said the Union Budget is very disappointing and it has failed miserably in addressing the present situation.

    He said the Budget is far away from the ground realities and is “cruelly insensitive” to the sufferings of the toiling mass.

    “This budget looks like a sales advertisement. Everything is for sale here,” he alleged.

    Manoj Jha of RJD said earlier it used to be a budget for general people but since the 1990s it has become “khaas” (special) budget.

    He said the budget has failed to address the current challenges.

    Jha also criticised the government for privatisation, including Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

    Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Vishambhar Prasad Nishad said he does not think that the government’s plan about doubling the income of farmers will succeed and pointed out that there is no provision for the farm-allied sectors in the budget.

    “The budget is a bundle of untrue bluffs,” he said.

    The budget will increase the disparity between the rich and the poor and it is very disappointing for farmers, wage-earners and small traders, Nishad said.

    Arun Singh (BJP) lauded Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for not imposing any additional taxes despite the adverse circumstances.

    He said not even a rupee in tax was levied in the budget.

    Singh accused the former UPA regime of corruption and mismanagement.

    During the UPA regime, he said, one minister used to be part of 26-27 groups but decisions were taken by an “invisible power”.

    BJD member Sujeet Kumar lauded the growth focus of the Budget, saying increased capital expenditure for improving the physical infrastructure, higher priority to health and drinking water, and steps to boost start-up ecosystem in the country were praiseworthy initiatives that will help the country march towards prosperity.

    He, however, flagged the marginal hike in the defense Budget, at a time when Pakistan and China were raising their allocations on defense.

    He also expressed disappointment at reduced allocation for the education sector.

    TKS Elangovan of DMK said the Budget had not made adequate provisions to address the plight of daily wagers, who were significantly impacted by the pandemic.

  • Lok Sabha proceedings extended till mid-night for discussion on Budget

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha proceedings were extended till mid-night on Wednesday to accommodate members’ participation in the discussion on Budget proposals.

    K Suresh, who was in the Chair at 9 pm, when the Lok Sabha usually adjourns for the day, announced that the timing of the House has been extended till 12 mid-night.

    Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said there was a long list of speakers who wanted to participate in the general discussion on the Union Budget 2021-22.

  • Opposition slams government in Lok Sabha for ignoring ‘aam admi’ in budget

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Opposition slammed the government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday for ignoring the “aam admi” and showing insensitivity towards agitating farmers in the budget proposals for 2021-22, which were unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this month.

    “The aam aadmi has been let down totally in the last seven years…and the budget has betrayed his most fundamental aspirations,” Congress member Shashi Tharoor said while initiating the general discussion on the Union Budget.

    The finance minister has neither played defensive nor hit the ball, he said, adding, “She has just run out of ideas. You cannot cross the sea but just keep staring at it.”

    Tharoor said the budget has reduced expenditure on defence and healthcare, and “delivered a blow to the economic system”.

    Although the nation suffered a lot because of the stringent lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s response to deal with the sufferings of people “showed no sensitivity”, he said, adding, “Bharat should become aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) and not Bharatvasis.”

    Accusing the government of ignoring the crisis instead of recognising that there is one at the border with China, Tharoor said the Centre seems to have overturned the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” into “Na Jawan, Na Kisan”.

    The budget, he said, did nothing to assuage the concerns of the agitating farmers with regard to the minimum support price (MSP).

    The road to a new India should not be littered with the wreckage of the old India, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said and urged the government not to create barriers on the path of the “annadatas” (farmers), who are protesting against three new farm laws at the borders of Delhi.

    Participating in the discussion, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Meenakshi Lekhi said due to the efforts of the Narendra Modi government, the country has come out of the “fragile five” economies.

    Today, India is among the top five economies in the world, she said, adding that the finance minister is now talking about a double-digit growth rate.

    The economy is projected to grow at 11 per cent during 2021-22 after a likely contraction of 7.7 per cent in the current financial year as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

    After saving lives, the focus is now on promoting livelihood, which the budget has tried to do, Lekhi said, adding that the allocations for most of the sectors have been doubled.

  • Rahul Gandhi still looking for flaws in Budget: Union Minister Smriti Irani

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Smriti Irani Monday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was still looking for flaws in the Budget instead of supporting something that would save lives.

    Speaking at a traders’ meet here at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Irani said the Budget was an expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of a nation.

    “If we look at the budget not only as an economic activity but as a nation-building and social activity, then you’ll realise it is an expansion of Narendra Modi’s idea of a nation.

    “I am aware that the former MP of amethi is still looking for flaws in this budget. He hasn’t found one yet. But an Indian, who is dedicated to the nation, shouldn’t have grief that this budget would save lives. it should be supported,” said Irani, who had defeated the Congress leader from his bastion of Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    She criticised Gandhi for not supporting the government’s announcement of making available pneumococcal vaccine in every state of the country, saying that perhaps “he could not understand it”.

    “The representatives of the medical fraternity know that because of non-availability of pneumococcal vaccine 50,000 children die every year in the country. I was surprised that when the finance minister announced in the budget that pneumococcal vaccine will now be available in every state, that 50,000 innocent lives will be saved even then the former Amethi MP didn’t say a word. Maybe he could not understand pneumococcal,” she said.

    She added Gandhi did not show support for the government’s decision to provide Rs 35,000 crore for the COVID-19 vaccination program in India “so that a common Indian citizen’s life can be saved”.

    She said the Congress is today opposing farm laws while its own government in Punjab has made provision for contract farming there.

    The Textiles Minister also criticised the Congress party for opposing the building of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue in Gujarat, saying the party never wanted to hear any other name but of one family’s only.

    “The opposition leaders said why do we need a statue? The people of India were surprised that why was the Congress party opposing the statue of a man who played an important role in the nation’s freedom struggle and in making the Constitution, that why were they so bothered. Perhaps the party hasn’t even wanted that there should be any other name on people’s tongue than one family’s,” she said.

  • Budget allocation for social security schemes disappointing: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for “cutting” the budget allocation to social security schemes for children under the ICDS programme.

    Writing a letter to Sitharaman, Gogoi said that the number of drop-outs from schools has increased in recent times due to the lockdown and the pandemic.

    “Mid-day meal scheme has proven to be an incentive for students to attend school, these cuts are not only alarming with regard to child nutrition but also with regard to education.

    “In a situation where the government should endeavor to ensure retention and incentivise re-enrolment in schools, the budget allocations are immensely disappointing,” he said.

    The senior Congress leader said the mid-day meal scheme has witnessed a decrease to Rs 11,000 crore compared to Rs 13,215 crore in 2014-15.

    “While these cuts are a reason of grave concern in any year, what the backdrop of National Family Health Survey-5 and the pandemic make them are deplorable sights.

    “In light of the aforementioned, I urge you to reconsider your stance on child welfare and economic support provided to such schemes. Especially, in the backdrop of the pandemic, the government should not paralyse the existing welfare mechanisms by starving them for revenue,” Gogoi said.

  • ‘Budget reflects PM’s vision for minimum govt, maximum governance’: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said the Union budget 2021-22 truly reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for “minimum government, maximum governance”.

    Speaking to media persons, he said, as one of the six pillars of the visionary budget, it outlines plans for reforms as one of the core principles of minimum government, maximum governance.

    In this spirit, a number of steps were taken to bring reforms in Central Administrative Tribunals (CATs) in the last few years for speedy delivery of justice and the budget proposes to take further measures to rationalise the functioning of tribunals, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

    ALSO READ | Highest ever allocation for Bengal in rail budget, state govt causing project delays: Piyush Goyal

    The minister said to have ease of doing business for those who deal with government or Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), and carry out contracts, the budget proposes to set up a conciliation mechanism and mandate its use for quick resolution of contractual disputes to instil confidence in private investors and contractors, according to a personnel ministry statement.

    Dwelling on some of the landmark good practices introduced by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) over the last six to seven years, Singh recalled some of the revolutionary decisions taken to change the face of governance in the country.

    Enumerating a few among them, he mentioned the decision to allow self-attestation of certificates without attestation of a gazetted officer or anyone else, which was taken immediately after the Modi government came to power in 2014, the statement said.

    ALSO WATCH:

    This was followed by the abolition of interview for selection to government jobs in certain categories, introduction of three months stint for new IAS officers in the central government before going to their respective state/UT cadre, amendment in prevention of corruption act, 1988 which included making the bribe-giver also culpable to offence, child care leave for male employees, enhancement of maternity leave for women employees, family pension for divorced daughters and introduction of digital life certificate for pensioners, among others, he said.

    Most importantly, Singh said, in the months of August and September, 2020, two historic decisions have been taken.

    One of them, he said, relates to ‘Mission Karamyogi’, which envisages continuous capacity building of every officer through digital mode in order to prepare him for every new assignment taken up by him and at the same time also enable the authorities to scientifically choose the right officer for the right assignment.

    The second decision relates to constituting National Recruitment Agency (NRA) for conducting Common Eligibility Test (CET) in order to provide level playing field to every job aspirant across the country, regardless of his socio-economic background, he said.

  • Previous governments drafted Budget with eye on vote bank: PM’s jibe at Congress

    Modi also released a postage stamp to mark the beginning of the centenary celebrations of the historic Chauri Chaura incident.

  • Increase in capital outlay of Defence amid pandemic is huge step, says IAF Chief

    By ANI
    BENGALURU: Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Thursday called the increase in the capital outlay of Defence budget “a huge step”, which will provide adequate budgetary support amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “We all know the pandemic effect and its impact on the economic scenario. To get this level (Rs 20,000 cr) increase in capital outlay, it’s a huge step by government to provide that kind of budgetary support,” IAF Chief told ANI on whether budget hike for modernisation would meet IAF requirements.

    “Last year also, additional funds of Rs 20,000 crores were provided. That helped the emergent procurement plans of the three forces and that really helped us. I think it is adequate for our capability building,” said IAF chief.

    This statement comes after defence forces received an overall hike of around 7.4 per cent over last year as Rs 3.62 lakh crore were provided to them excluding pensions amid the China military standoff.

    Additionally, the defence forces received more than 18 per cent hike over last year in capital outlay meant for acquisition of new weapon systems as Rs 1.35 lakh crore have been provided over the Rs 1.13 lakh crores last year.

    However, the budget documents also revealed that the Defence Ministry spent an extra amount of Rs 20,776 crore for buying new weapon systems and spares for the armed forces in the present fiscal over and above the funds allocated for the purpose.

    The additional Rs 20,776 crore has been spent on buying weapons and other spares under the special financial powers given to services under emergency and other provisions.

    The money has been used to acquire equipment like the Spice-2000 bombs, Spike anti-tank guided missiles, SiG Sauer assault rifles, Excalibur ammunition, multiple types of aircraft spares from Russia along with the ammunition for tanks and fighter jets.

    In the 2021-22 Union Budget, the Defence Ministry has been allocated Rs 4,78,195.62 crore. Rs 1.15 lakh crore have also been allocated for defence pensions which are disbursed to both military and civilians who have worked for defence Ministry.