The BJP defended the union budget in the Rajya Sabha on Friday saying it is pragmatic, provides relief to the poor and unemployed and aims at economic recovery as well as financial reforms. The BJP said the budget takes care of all sections of society and has earmarked funds for all including strengthening of the health sector.
Participating in the debate on the Union budget in the Upper House of Parliament, BJP leader and union minister Anurag Thakur attacked opposition parties, alleging that they were using farmers for their political gains and asserted that the three new farm laws will help in doubling the incomes of peasants.
He challenged the opposition leaders to show him if any of the three laws say 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 the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programme in three financial packages.
He noted that farms bill bring “new hope” to farmers and the government is ready to talk on these bills with an open heart and mind. The government provided relief to 40 crore men and women of this country, he said, adding the health budget has been increased by 137 per cent to Rs 2.38 lakh crore.
“Earlier governments ran healthcare in such a way that three-fourth of the population could not afford health services,” he alleged. 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.
He told the House that Singh had stated in the book, “Had public concerns been private concerns, they would have on one hand yielded tax of hundreds of crores per year to government and on other hand profit of hundreds of crore on its proprietary and shareholders. On the other hand, public has had to pay and even now paying crores of rupees to make for losses, almost every year in vain.”
Defending the Budget, Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP) said it is a transparent budget unlike the budgets of the UPA era which showed 9.5 per cent fiscal deficit. Stressing that just as apart from medicines, immunity needs to be developed to fight Covid, the budget has focussed on infra and capital expenditure.
He said the budget is for all citizens’ benefit. Ashwini Vaishnav of BJP said this budget has realistic estimates, whether for revenue, expenditure or fiscal deficit, and has been appreciated globally.
“This budget has been framed by keeping the common man in mind,” he said adding that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has struck the right balance between consumption and investment. The budget has absolutely good temporary reliefs along with long term plans, he said. Shiv Pratap Shukla of BJP termed the budget as progressive. According to him, during the pandemic the Modi government gave priority to the health of the people and not on economic growth.
The Finance minister has given the concept of three ‘Rs’ into the budget which is – relief for poor and unemployed, recovery of economy and reforms of the financial system.
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