Madhya Pradesh farmers not happy with budget, income support is too low to meet the crisis

Bhopal: Central budget evoked mixed reaction in Madhya Pradesh. While BJP termed it as revolutionary Chief Minister Kamal Nath described it as Jumla. Kamal Nath said it is nothing but election budget. With this the last hope for aachhe din is lost. “The general budget presented today is totally an election budget and will prove to be Jumla and chhalava. The government remembered farmers, the poor, labourers and Gau Mata during the last days of its tenure. The provisions made for farmers are very less compared to what’s required” the CM twitted.

AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia called it a “Jumla Budget”. Scindia lashed out at the Modi government in a series of tweets. “Modi government’s announcement to give ₹6,000 to farmers annually will find its place in the list of jumlas. It will never reach the hands of farmers, just like the Crop Insurance Scheme and MSP never did. Will the government that humiliated and condemned farmers ever run scheme to honour them?” Other Congress leaders asked why there is no mention of the 10 crore jobs promised by BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,

Surprisingly almost all the organisations of Kisans have termed the₹6,000 annual handout an “insult” to Kisanas. According to reports reaching Bhopal farmers and their leaders said it is too insignificant. “We will give the government ₹12,000 a year if it ensures that farmers get the price of produce according to cost of cultivation” said Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh national president Shiv kumar Sharma aka Kakka Ji pointing out that ₹2,000 every four months is an insult to the sweat and toil of farmers.

Bhartiya Kisan Union state president Anil Yadav said “It’s a cruel joke on farmers when the cost of production is going up all the time, and all agricultural equipment have been put under GST.”

Kisan Sangarsh Samiti Ramakanat Dhankar said, “Instead o₹6000 annual to farmers it would have been better, if government would have fixed reasonable support price (MSP) for the farmers. Just because there is no MSP, farmers are not getting fair price for sugar cane crop. Whatever benefit PM Narendra Modi’s government has given in the budget is just like drop in ocean”.

While farmers declined to welcome budget salaried sections of the society hailed the relief given to income tax payees. Tax relief will benefit nearly 5 lakh officials of Madhya Pradesh by the tax exemption. Rajpatrit Adikari Sangh president Ashok Sharma said “Class-4 never come under tax net. But now with the tax exemption up to ₹5 lakh, mainly officials of class-2 and class- 3 will get benefit with this pro-employees budget”.

Edited, Printed & Published by Nitya Chakraborty on behalf of Panchsheel News Pvt. Ltd.at D-34, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-110049 Madhya Pradesh Swasthya Karmchari Sangh President Laxminarain Sharma said “It is good that tax exemption will be up to ₹5 lakh. But there after the slab is 20%. It would have been better if slab were rationalised as well. A slab of 10% would have been reasonable. It is against employees.” Kalpatru Multiplier Limited MD Adity Manya said “It is good budget. It is first time, union

government has provided facilities at door step of middle to poor class of the society. Poor and middle class have been specially considered in the budget. Such budget will definitely pay dividend to Modi in general elections.”

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) general secretary Bhupendra Jain said, “It is totally election budget. Tax given by traders, businessmen has been distributed just like toffees to farmers. It is not justified. We are not against farmers but there must be something for traders in the budget which lacks.”

MP Petroleum Dealers Association president Ajay Singh said, “Farmers should have been given₹6,000 per month so that farmers would work tension free. Such small and marginal farmers have to do job other than agriculture sector. It is totally elections budget but how much it will pay dividend to PM Modi in general elections time will tell”.

According to a calculation done by taxation expert about 18 lakh income tax payees will benefit by relief announced in the budget. Real estate spokesmen have also welcomed the relief given to them. Over ten lakh persons in the unorganised sector will benefit by the pension scheme announced in the budget. EPFO insurance limit has been raised from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh. This will benefit 32 lakh policy holders.