No specific announcement for plantation sector: UPASI

The United Planters' Association of Southern India today lamented that there was no specific announcement in the union budget for the plantation sector.
UPASI PresidentVinod Sivappa said UPASI had earlier sought governmental help to ease the current difficult situation which was taken up with the Finance Minister at the Pre-Budget consultation meeting for the agriculture sector held inNovember last year. But there was no specific announcement in the budget for the sector, he said.
However, UPASI welcomed the additional allocation made to the Commodity Boards in the revised estimate for the year 2016-17 namely, Rs 22.17 crore for Tea Board, Rs 20 crore for Coffee Board, Rs 16 crore for Rubber Board, Rs 10 crore for Spices Board.

This would, to a certain extent, help in disbursing the amounts due to growers under various developmental schemes, Sivappa said here.
Federation of Indian Export Organisation (Southern Region welcomed the budget, saying it is growth oriented.
FIEO regional chairman A Sakthivel said extension of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras to 600 districts will help the industry employ skilled workers which is one of the major issues faced by the industries.

However, Sakthivel expressed his concern on not visiting the corporate tax structure which was expected as the government outlined road map for reduction of corporate tax during previous budget.
Gulf-based healthcare tycoon Azad Moopen saidthe healthcare sector has not been given much focus to attain the goal of Right of Health for all citizens.

The NRIs also don't have much to cheer except the removal of prior sanction for FDIs. The much awaited scheme of Health Insurance for the returning NRIs didn't find place in the budget, Moopen said in a release here.
"One of the major areas which will benefit the common man is the decision to make generic medicines more widely available.This will reduce cost of medicines significantly and help the poor people," he said.
Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman and Managing Director, Muthoot Fincorp Ltd, said budget proposals are very progressive for the financial institutions mainly engaged in small credit segment while providing comfort to 'Aam Admi". Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director, Lulu Financial Group, said the budget is a well-balanced one with greater emphasis on the agriculture sector and increased provisions to uplift economic and social conditions in rural India.

George Alexander Muthoot, MD - Muthoot Finance, said the budget is a well-balanced one with an overarching theme of realising inclusive and staggered economic growth, without stepping down on the path of fiscal prudence.