Budget has 'zero' for common people: Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee said the Centre was lost in 'big words' signifying nothing

The Trinamool Congress leadership has pitched a critical reading of the Union Budget 2022-23, presented by the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.

Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the budget has nothing for the common people. “Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment and inflation. Government is lost in big words signifying nothing,” Mamata tweeted, terming it ‘a Pegasus spin budget’.

Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to the state chief minister and state’s finance department, said the budget lacks direction for financial growth. “There is nothing for the poor and middle class. The income tax structure remains unchanged. The Centre's budget is either a hoax or a lack of goodwill,” Mitra said.

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Mitra said that the allocation for the 100-day work opportunity under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 has been reduced from Rs 98,000 crore to Rs 73,000 crore. He also pointed out that schemes concerning social protection, senior citizens, for families who lost a member to Covid, salaried middle class, are also missing from the budget.

The budget fails to take into account 3 crore unemployed people, the informal sector, and the broken supply chain, he argued. Mitra referred to demand stimulation with money in the hands of the common people, instead of focusing on the supply side. Several countries like England and Germany have made such attempts.

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Trinamool leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, also made a sarcastic comment while referring to the reduction of customs duty on cut and polished diamonds and gemstones. “Diamonds are this government’s best friend. For the rest - farmers, middle class, daily earners, unemployed - this is a PM (Does Not) Care,” Derek stated.