TN Govt lauds FM for "balancing," Oppn calls "disappointing"

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today dubbed the budget as a "difficult balancing task" welcoming several of its features while Leader of Opposition in Assembly M K Stalin said it was a "mix of change and disappointment."
"This Budget does a difficult balancing task. But the people of the State of Tamil Nadu had still higher expectations," Panneerselvam said.
"I commend the Union Finance Minister on the difficult balancing task that he has done and his focus on the broad themes of structural reforms."
He said, "the taxation measures on the personal income tax side, however, fall short of the expectations of the salaried middle classes."

Hitting out at the Centre on the new 10 per cent cess of 10 per cent for those in the Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore income bracket, he said, "the levy of surcharge is a retrograde measure by which the Centre is trying to avoid sharing its tax proceeds with States. I deprecate this practice."
He expressed serious concern about "implications of the proposed National Testing Agency to conduct nationwide entrance examinations."

He said,"Tamil Nadu's stance on examinations like the National Eligibility and Entrance Test for medical college admissions is well known."
"I urge the Government of India to ensure that national level testing is not imposed or forced in States like Tamil Nadu which already have a transparent, fair and robust system of admission based on a school leaving examination which is conducted with unimpeached integrity," he said.

He welcomed initiatives including Mission Antyodaya, enhanced allocation for MGNREGA, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Innovation Fund for Secondary Education, and online learning platform SWAYAM.
The emphasis on agriculture and enhancing farmers' income are welcome features of the Budget, he said.
Though the budget spoke of revival of farm sector growth, it did not highlight acute drought in Tamil Nadu. "A special package for drought affected farmers would have been a very welcome feature," he said.
He welcomed doing away with "irrelevant distinction between Plan and Non Plan schemes."
Also, he welcomed implementation of Core Banking Solutions for Primary Agricultural Cooperatives and wanted the Centre to ensure more loans from commercial banks to farmers against cultivation related documents and not as jewel loans.

DMK working president M K Stalin said "budget is a mix of change and disappointment." "Tamil Nadu has been largely ignored in the Budget," he said.
It was disappointing that initiatives like AIIMS Hospital, interlinking of Rivers, Metro Rail extension does not figure in the Budget, he noted.
(Reopens MES7)
Stalin said it was "anguishing" the annual report does not have any announcement in regard to waiver of farmers' loans who are distressed.
He welcomed features like enhanced allocation for National Rural Livelihood Mission , increased rural spending, and reforms in donations to political parties.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Su Thirunavukkarasar said, "the budget is full of rhetoric rather than moving towards growth. This is not going to give any benefit to the people."

Stating that UPA regime had waived Rs 70,000 crore of loans of farmers in PSU banks, he said,"it is condemnable that the budget does not have any announcement on waiver of farm loans at a time of drought and farmers' suicides."
Though the budget talks a lot on digital economy, "dwelling on it without creating any infrastructural facilities for it is surprising," he said.
CPI (M) said "this budget not only ignores but also imposes further burdens on the people in the wake of demonetisation and widespread deflationary conditions."
It regreted that though Finance Minister Jaitley repeatedly spoke of doubling farmers' incomes,"this does not reflect in any increase in outlays for agriculture."

"The allocation for Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers welfare has fallen from 1.98 per cent of total expenditure in 2016-17 (RE) to 1.95 per cent of total budgetary outlay in 2017-18," it said.
PMK chief Ramadoss said,"the budget has some good and a lot of disappointing features."
He said it was grievous that farm loan waiver has not been announced and there was no scheme for farmers welfare though Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Jaitley have been talking of doubling the income of ryots.
On the Centre's share of Rs 51,000 crore in the capital expenditure of Rs 1.31 lakh crore for railways, he said when railways had pegged Rs 1.19 lakh crore for enhancing safety features alone, "the present allocation is to a very small extent." He said, hence, there is a "danger" of an increase in train fare to tackle deficit.

In a statement, eminent farm scientist, Prof M S Swaminathan said the budget moved forward on the "agri-budget focus," reflected last year.
He however voiced concern on agricultural commodity pricing.
"In the area of pricing, it is high time that the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) to provide the minimum price of C2 (total cost of production) plus 50 per cent are implemented. This has been the demand of farmers all over the country," he said.
He welcomed the announcement of a model law for contract farming "as it is important in protecting rights of farmers and ensuring a principle of win-win for farmers and contractors.