Bouquets, brickbats for budget

AHMEDABAD, June 30: The state budget for 1998-99 has evoked mixed political reactions on Tuesday. While the BJP leaders have welcomed the bu...

AHMEDABAD, June 30: The state budget for 1998-99 has evoked mixed political reactions on Tuesday. While the BJP leaders have welcomed the budget, the Rashtriya Janata Party RJP has severely criticised it.

The Rashtriya Janata Party chief Shankersinh Vaghela and the state RJP president Madhusudan Mistri reacted to the state Budget as quot;highly disappointing.quot; They said in a joint statement quot;It is not going to revive the state8217;s economy.quot; What is even more disappointing about the budget, according to them, is that it has no monetary allocation for rehabilitation of the people in the cyclone-affected areas.

At the most the Government would be releasing around Rs 100 crore for their rehabilitation, which is not sufficient, the release said. Middle class would suffer no less because of the substantial increase in prices of almost all the consumer items. Similarly, by giving Rs 11 crore of sales-tax exemption on the taxpayers8217; total estimated income of Rs 4770 Crores, the State government has virtually robbed them the taxpayers off the whopping sum of Rs 34 crore. The four per cent increase in the sales tax on the imported sugar has made it highly costly for the consumer.

Women, dalits and tribals have also been given a raw deal. On the other hand, BJP8217;s State unit president Rajendrasingh Rana has welcomed it as progressive, and pro-poor aimed at uplifting all sections of the society. He said special provisions for farmers especially in the cyclone-hit areas was welcome.

Youth and Cultural Activities Minister Mahendra Trivedi has hailed exemption to cultural events from entertainment tax and said this was the first time that the government gave total exemption to performing arts like drama, poetry meets, circus, magic shows, mushaira, puppetry and others.

BJP spokesman and Dhandhuka MLA Bharat Pandya has welcomed the priority given to social services in budget allocations. He also praised the Finance Minister for announcing holding of 250 recruitment fairs in the state to ease unemployment problem. Party MP Vallabh Kathiria has said relief in sales tax on heart valves and orthopaedic implant and purchase of 160 ambulance vans would go a long way in patients8217; welfare.

Meanwhile, industry reacted positively to the budget. Utkarsh Shah, president of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce amp; Industry GCCI stated that despite the substantial financial burden caused by the cyclone, the government had tried to give a balanced budget.

Story continues below this ad

He complimented the government for sparing the common man from additional burden of taxation. He pointed out that the welcome features of the budget include the attempt made by the Finance Minister to liberalise norms for payment of sales tax, increase in exemption limit for registration and fixing time limits for registration and disposal of assessment.