Politics

Interim Budget ‘historic’, to benefit all sections of society: Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh

New Delhi | Terming the interim Budget “historic”, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said it is aimed at strengthening the economy and will benefit all sections of society.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal presented the interim Budget for the 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha. He doled out tax sops to middle class, including doubling of income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh, raising standard deduction to Rs 50,000, and provided concessions on interest income from bank deposits and rent.

“Our government wants the country’s economy to get stronger and that was aim of the Budget. I would call it a historic Budget. It would benefit all sections of society,” Singh told reporters outside Parliament. Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and R K Singh dubbed the Budget a “surgical strike on the Opposition”.

“This is the second surgical strike. First surgical strike was when our soldiers fought with bullets at the border and it will be the ballot this year. The Budget will benefit farmers,” Paswan said. Singh said the Opposition should welcome the Budget.

“I advice the Opposition to welcome the Budget and it felt like a surgical strike on the Opposition. It was shell-shocked. It should be happy because the people are happy,” he said. Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said the Budget will benefit the common man and the service class.

“It benefits the poor population too. Such a Budget has been presented after many years and it would help in empowering people of this country,” he said.
“From health to education to farmers’ welfare to gratuity, all areas have been covered and it would benefit the people,” he added.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “There was a lot of fantasy language and castles being constructed in the air but very little actually happening in real terms.”
However, he praised the tax exemptions introduced for the middle-class.

Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
Some error occurred

Related posts

Politics

161 witch-hunting deaths in Assam in 18 yrs: Minister to House

TestHostEntry

Guwahati | At least 161 people were killed in “witch-hunting” over the past 18 years in Assam, Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma told the Assembly on Friday.

Cutting across party lines, the members of the House urged the government to take urgent steps to generate awareness and support the victims of the social menace, which is still rampant in the state.

A total of 133 cases of witch-hunting have been registered across the state since 2001, Brahma said.

Witch-hunting is rampant across 17 districts of the state, with Kokrajhar leading the tally with 45 deaths, followed by Chirang with 24 deaths and Goalpara with 17 deaths, she stated.

Tinsukia and Udalguri have seen 15 deaths each during this period, while Nagaon witnessed 10 killings, Sonitpur eight and Karbi Anglong six, Brahma said.

Stressing the need for government support to the victims and their families, Congress MLA Durga Bhumij said that inhuman tortures are meted out to people as part of superstitious practices.

“The existing laws are not stringent as one can get bail in 15-20 days. Besides, the ongoing awareness campaigns are not sufficient and there should be budgetary provisions in this regard,” the opposition party MLA said during the Question Hour.

Bhumij also alleged that the social welfare and home departments are not taking their responsibilities seriously.

BJP MLA Prasanta Phukan suggested that a mechanism should be developed to support the survivors and their immediate relatives, as most of them belong to the ‘Below Poverty Line’ (BPL) categories.

Sharing his views, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said the witch-hunting killings are nothing but a form of mob lynching, but there is no act to deal with such crimes in the state.

“After the Dokmoka incident of Karbi Anglong, the chief minister had talked about introducing a law to tackle mob lynching, but that has not been done as yet. So, I request the government to bring in a stringent law against mob lynching,” he added.

Two men were lynched allegedly by local villagers in Dokmoka police station area of Karbi Anglong district in June last year on the suspicion of being “child lifters”.

The Assam Police, on September 1, filed an 844-page chargesheet against as many as 48 accused in the case.

Bodoland People’s Front legislator Thaneswar Basumatary and Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha appealed to the members of the House to take initiatives in their respective constituencies to create awareness groups and launch campaigns to stop the menace.

Responding to the suggestions, Brahma said the government is considering the option of doling out financial assistance to the families of victims, urging the MLAs to back the NGOs that have been fighting the social evil.

“The social welfare department is working with the Assam State Women’s Commission to create awareness among common people. It is primarily a law and order issue. So, the police need to take action. We are taking steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” she added.

Related posts

News Hub