COMPLIMENTS

We must compliment

Shri Jayantrao Patil for neither increasing the taxes nor introducing any new levies on the basic necessities, at least in his speech in the legislative assembly. We say in his speech because many a times we have experienced such increase/new levy not finding place in the speech but are cleverly inserted in the Bill. Hopefully, such back door exercise is not being done.

If he has introduced this budget after carefully examining the correctness of the facts and figures submitted by the bureaucracy then in that case he deserves all compliments. In such circumstances he need not bother about the criticism from the opposition that the budget lacked the content and nothing could save it from being dubbed one of the most lacklustre in recent times.

We say so because we smell bureaucratic play in the figures of refunds mentioned in the speech. The growth rate of 13 per cent has been based on such amounts of refunds. It be noted that though the refund payment orders issued at Rs.1637 crores might have been informed correctly the legitimate refunds rejected for frivolous reasons also run in crores and will have to be granted in future. The picture which looks to be rosy today may not be so tomorrow.

Anyway, the FM has kept the word given in ZP elections and has refrained from introducing taxes on foodgrains and other basic commodities at least for next six months. The prices of almost all the basic necessities have reached to the peak. Such measure should give the normal person with average income a solace for at least for six months. In our view, the Central and the State Governments should jointly work for controlling the inflation in the prices.

As usual the liquor has been targeted. MRP on Indian-made foreign liquor is now four times the manufacturing cost, if the cost is up to Rs. 92 per litre. We do appreciate the concern regarding the public health and increase in consumption cost is one such measure to discourage the same. But we feel, an in-depth study of the factual position is required to be done. Lot of duplicate foreign liquor is in circulation in the market and the consumption thereof is more dangerous than the original one. Moreover, such liquor vendors neither pay any excise duty nor pay the VAT. Country liquor and other spirits will have the same fate. The cottage industry in these goods is the powerful sector and the Government can’t reach to them. We feel a second thought be given to the budget proposals as regards IMFL and Country Liquor.

On the whole the budget proposals have not worsened the economy so far it relates to the common man. We wish the best of luck to the Government.