Union Budget 2015 is growth-oriented: Manohar Lal Khattar

CHANDIGARH: Describing the Union Budget as "growth-oriented", Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said it will take care of all sections of the society, even as the Congress described it as "pro-rich".

Reacting to the budget proposals, Khattar said they aimed at making the country a prosperous and meaningful global power by 75th year of Independence and reducing the fiscal deficit to three per cent in three years.

Enumerating the "gains" for the agriculture sector, the chief minister said the Rs 8.5 lakh-crore credit to be given to the farmers in 2015-16 would give a decisive boost to agriculture.

"While taking care of the unemployed, the government will ensure that no one who is poor is without a job. The allocation of funds has been increased to Rs 5,000 crore for MGNREGA which is very encouraging," he said.

Also, provision of Rs 15,000 crore has been made in the Rural Credit Fund and a national market would be set up for marketing of farmers' produce, he said, while appreciating the announcement for setting up a National Agriculture Market.

Khattar hailed the announcement on setting up of an Apprenticeship Training Institute for Women in Haryana for imparting practical and employable training to women.

He thanked the Finance Minister for constituting a high-level committee for finalising details for establishing a Horticultural University for which the state government has already prepared DPR.

The Haryana chief minister lauded the decision to bring yoga in the ambit of charitable purposes under the Income Tax Act, and said that this would further help in its promotion, not just because of its fundamental healing approach, but also because of its many benefits for physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Meanwhile, Kiran Choudhry, Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, described the budget as "pro-rich", alleging that it is for corporate and industrialists, and ignores the common man.

In a statement issued here today, the former Excise and Taxation minister said that the budget had benefitted only the corporates by bringing down the Corporate Tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent.

"There is nothing for the salaried class. Neither tax exemption limit has been hiked, nor tax brackets have been tweaked to give them relief. On the contrary, the hike in service tax will push up the prices of essential commodities. The rich will become richer and poor will become poorer," she claimed.

She alleged that the finance minister announced AIIMS only for poll-bound states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir where it is going to form government.

A Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education will be set up in Amritsar. It is a clear case of discrimination against Haryana, she pointed out.