February 28, 2015
Trinamool’s reaction to Union Budget 2015
Professor Saugata Roy and Derek O’Brien briefed the media in Parliament on Trinamool’s reaction to Union Budget 2015:
- This Union Budget 2015 is not for the people, not for the poor and not for the middle class
- Lot of talk on giving more to the States. This is untrue. Last year, gross output to States was 61.88%. This year it is 62%
- There is a saying in Bengali: Machher tele Machh Bhaja (Frying fish in fish oil). Only hollow talk on Federalism
- There is a lot of big talk on infrastructure and social development. Big promises… Where is the action plan?
- Lot of projects – BRGF, Modernisation of police, National Mission on Food Procurement, National e-governance plan and 15 other Schemes – delinked from Central funding
- They talk of Look East and give ‘small change’. Same package as Andhra (AP got Rs 850 Cr)… 1 lakh Crore interest burden paid by West Bengal to Centre
- Service Tax has been increased. Middle class will be hurt. Prices of essential commodities will go up.
- 100 Days’ Work Scheme – remains unchanged. Minor increase in allocation from Rs 33k Cr to Rs 34K Cr. Rs 5000 Cr comes with a caveat
WB Finance Minister reacts to Union Budget 2015:
- There is a talk of increasing the share of devolution from 32% to 42%
- The truth is, if all the grants all calculated together, in 2014 61.88% was given, in 2015 the share is 62%
- Allocation for “Sarba Sikha Abhiyan” has been slashed by 22.14%
- Allocation for ICDS has been deducted by 50%. National Livelihood Mission decreased by 12%
- Total grant to State in 2014 was Rs 4,05,582 Crore and in this year Rs 3,28,277 Crore, a reduction of 20%
- Allocation to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojona, Primary Education Sector, Health Sector not been increased
- On behalf of the West Bengal Government, I must say this is an ‘anti people’ Budget
- The 14 Finance Commission predicted an allocation of 62.75% to the states. Central Government has not even able to reach target
- There is no relief to the tax payers for the individual payers
- There is a talk of a package in the lines of Andhra Pradesh. We do not know the amount of package or any details
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