Union Budget 2017 brings cheer to Delhi

New Delhi: With thrust on tax reduction, digital economy, infrastructure development and a plethora of measures for women and vulnerable groups, the Union Budget 2017 has brought cheers to the Delhiites. Many hailed the infrastructure status granted to the housing sector for the promotion of affordable homes that will cover many vulnerable groups. However, many youngsters were unhappy as the prices of smartphones are likely to go up by 1-2 per cent following the levy of a special additional duty (SAD) on circuit boards of mobile phones.

Education was one of the thrust areas that Union finance minister Arun Jaitley focused on by introducing a National Testing Agency which will conduct the entrance exams for higher education. The move, educationists feel, will drastically improve the standards of the entrance tests. “I think introducing a National Testing Agency will improve the standard of education in our country. People from a lot of states have the potential and intellect but lack in resources. Now, when they will have an opportunity to bring their capabilities to a test, India will have more capable manpower, resulting in an improved economy,” said a DU student Ambika Dikshit.

Infrastructure development has been given a major boost by the announcement of the revamp of the railway stations, modernisation of the airports and increase in expenditure of the roads.

Experts said that the merger of the Rail Budget with the General Budget has paved way for a coordinated transport strategy.

“For the first time, the Railway Budget was merged with the General Budget, opening up the route for a coordinated multi-modal transport strategy for the country,” Naushad Forbes, president, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said.

However, many were left disappointed with the glossed up focus on the skill development of the women and their increased participation in the workforce saying that the budget ignored other pertinent issues. “The new Budget has come as a huge betrayal of the expectations of women and children of the country as there is a lack of measures to expend amounts on food subsidies for the majority poverty-stricken sections of the country. Such neglect will be felt most by thousands of women and children suffering from malnutrition and living on a hand-to-mouth existence in many parts of the country,” said women rights activist Maya John.