Budget in Parliament IPL v BPL
THE Budget Debate in Parliament really brought out the best of our MPs unfortunately there were not many listeners! We bring you some extracts:
IPL v BPL Mr. Shivkumar Udasi: Over the years, the Budgets have created two Indias one for IPL and another for BPL. The IPL is for the urban India and the BPL is for the rural poor. The gap between the poor and the rich is becoming more and more, though budgets are being presented in this august House. The language of the Budget also reveals how the society thinks in India. Concessions to the rich are called incentives; those for the poor are called relief, but when it comes to the middle class, it says they are sops. I want to bring to the notice of the House that in the last year's Budget Papers, there was a document it is also there in this year's Budget Papers called statement of revenue foregone. In the last two years, the revenue foregone for the rich people is about Rs.9,16,399 ? crore. ?? In this country, we all know that there are 12 crore farmers. It will be very interesting to know that the number of ? marginal farmers, those who have the holding of below one hectare of land, is around 58 per cent. They own only 15 per cent of the area, whereas the number of small farmers, who have the land area of 1-2 hectares, is 19 per cent. Both put together, 77-80 per cent of the farmers are small and marginal. The area, put together, among them is 33 per cent only. I would request the Finance Minister to forego the interest rate applicable to the farmers.? In this way, it can forego about Rs.40,000 crore which is peanut compared to the large scale foregone revenues relating to the top 2 per cent of the population of this country. ?? Perhaps the worst idea in this Budget is to slap five per cent service tax on health care which will put affordable medical treatment further beyond the reach of the common man.? I want that to be reduced.
Tax Exemption Limit to 2.1 Lakhs for women Ms. Priya Dutt: This year Government has decided to increase the income tax exemption limit for individual male tax payers from 1.6 lakh to 1.8 lakh, however, for working females, the limit has been kept same at 1.9 lakh. My submission is that the benefit of 20,000 Rs may be extended to working female also. The exemption limit for female tax payers should be increased to 2.10 lakh. Working women have to perform multiple tasks. She has to take care of her household and her children apart from her work at her place of employment. For last many years the Govt, has been giving special tax exemption of Rs. 40,000 to working women. I hope the Govt, would reconsider this. The government has decided to put service tax on diagnostic centres and hospitals having more than 25 beds with AC. I would request the government to reconsider this issue. The service tax will be ultimately passed on to the patients and result in health care becoming more expensive for the general public. Sanitary napkins are not a luxury but an essential item. Due to lack of proper hygienic sanitary napkins adolescence girls and women suffer from various diseases etc. specially cervical cancer. I would request to reduce the Excise Duty on sanitary napkins to zero per cent.
What do farmers want? Mr L. Rajagopal: I would like to recollect the words of Mahatma Gandhi wherein he had said: Political freedom has no meaning for the millions if they do no know how to employ their enforced idleness.? What do the farmers want today? Apart from remunerative prices, they want water for every acre of land.? It is our duty now, to ensure that every inch of land is properly irrigated and water is flown and supplied through flood irrigation.