Budget 2021: Hopes n Despair, writes Nirmalendu Kar Purakayastha

//Nirmalendu Kar Purakayastha//

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has introduced paperless budget for the first time with a fiscal deficit of 9.5%. FM has allotted huge fund for healthcare to cover the Vaccine expenses for the nation. Besides there are fund allocation in Textile, Agriculture etc. There were no significant changes in income Tax. Senior citizens and pensioners are provided Tax Relief. Thrust on Budget is to attain self sufficiency in INDIA. Emphasis has been given Infrastructure and MSME sector so as to enable employment generation. Four poll bound States Assam ,West Bengal, Tamilnadu and Kerala where huge funds are allotted for highway expansion. Hopefully if everything goes smoothly definitely good days are ahead.

But in case of Barak Valley all depends upon implementation of budget program. We have seen in the past Funds, Projects were also allotted but due to the vagaries of executing authorities various funds were either scrapped or diverted to upper Assam . Glaring example is our National Highway unfortunately it has yet not been completed meantime 6 to 8 no Budgets we have experienced. Let hope for the best ignoring the despair of the people of the Valley.

(Nirmalendu Kar Purakayastha is a renowned Cost Accountant.)