Shimla: Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal reacting to the budget proposals said that Himachal had been let down as the budget did not find mention about increasing the industrial package to its original ten year period till 2013.
“The package was announced by prime minister AB Vajpayee in 2003 and it was the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh that has curtailed the incentive provided to a industrially backward state, said Dhumal.
Our demand for imposing generation tax of 10 paisa per unit does not find mention even though it was Pranab Mukerjee who is his budget speech in 1984-85 had advocated taxation on generation for raising resources for Himalayan states, he said.
He said that every section barring ex-serviceman are disappointed with what finance minister Pranab Mukerjee budget put forth in parliament today.
The budget proposal would have an adverse affect on growth as was reflected in the huge drop in the Sensex witnessed while the finance minister was delivering his budget speech, said the chief minister.
Income tax slabs have not been increased as was expected, relief for women and senior citizens was not adequate and corporate tax has not been lowered to provide relief to industry.
The chief minister said that the only thing that needed to be commended in the budget was ‘one rank one pay’, a long pending demand, which should now be implemented in true spirit.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
