General Budget-2011

It's customary for the opposition to criticize general budget and the ruling party to eulogize it.So it's futile to ask P. Chidambaram to make comments on the budge or call upon Susama Swaraj or Gurudas Dasgupta to spell out their over all impression about it.Economists too differ in their opinion either.Some say the budget is more or less pro-people and others say it is not.Common people in general are only confused.They can't make out if the politicians simply criticize or laud the budget out of political compulsion.They can't realise the nitty gritty of the budget the economists discuss in print or electronic media either. However, after some time they could at least understand they've hardly anything to gain from the budget except the message that they should get prepared for harder days lying ahead.

However,only the fortunate few who pay income tax are marginally benefited in the budget for change in the slabs of income tax.In the present budget the finance minister has done a commendable job for elderly people by lowering the qualifying age from 65 to 60 for enjoying income tax benefit.In every sphere of conceding relaxation to senior citizens 60yrs is considered the eligible age but for some unknown reasons 65yr was the age to enable an elderly man to have concession in income tax .Govt could not answer why such a disparity existed.Any way, it's better late than never.

Once again,to ordinary man budget doesn't appear that important as it's to people at higher echelon of the society.The middle class people are endowed with the fringe benefits only as mentioned.So while the people at the lower rung of the society suffer in silence, the higher ups represent face of shining India as wished by almost all finance ministers.