Nothing for poor but "election speech": Mallikarjun Kharge on Union Budget

New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the Budget 2023 was prepared keeping an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections adding that it has nothing to offer for the poor people of the country.
He further said that the ruling government has failed to control inflation and the budget is not for common people.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023 today in Lok Sabha. This was the third time in a row that the government presented the budget in a paperless form.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress President said that no steps have been taken for jobs, to fill government vacancies and MNREGA.
"The budget was presented by the Modi government keeping in view the upcoming Assembly polls in three-four states. This was an election speech and they had prepared that 15 days ago. There is nothing in the budget for poor people and to control inflation. No steps for jobs, to fill government vacancies and MNREGA," said Kharge on Union Budget 2023.
Lambasting the BJP at the Centre for not presenting any vision to create jobs, Kharge said that the government failed to fill vacancies at existing government offices.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the Budget 2023 does not reflect the real sentiments of the people such as unemployment and price rise.
He further said that the Union Budget is filled with fancy announcements whose implementation is under question.
"This budget is not addressing the real sentiment of the country that is unemployment and price rise. It only had fancy announcements that were made earlier too but what about implementation? Only insurance companies were benefited from PM Kisan Yojana not farmers," said KC Venugopal.
Highlights of the budget presented by the Union Finance Minister included big incentives under the new income tax regime. The IT rebate limit in the new regime has been increased from
Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh and the new tax regime will be the default tax regime, the Finance Minister said. Capital expenditure outlay has been increased by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, accounting for 3.3 per cent of the GDP.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the "first budget of Amrit Kaal" and said that it would lay a strong foundation for building a developed India.
The Prime Minister said that the budget gives priority to the deprived and will fulfill the dreams of the aspirational society, the farmers and the middle class.
"The first budget of Amrit Kaal will build a strong foundation for building a developed India. It gives priority to the deprived. This budget will fulfil the dreams of an aspirational society including poor people, middle-class people, and farmers. I congratulate Nirmala Sitharaman and his team for this historic budget," PM Modi said in a televised address.
Noting that PM Vishvakarma Kaushal Samman will bring a huge change in the lives of 'Vishvakarmas', the Prime Minister said that for the first time schemes relating to their support has been incorporated into the budget. (ANI)