Tirupati: Budget hailed for according priority to agriculture

Tirupati: Priority given to the Agriculture sector in the Union Budget for 2020-21 was welcomed by various sections. But they expressed doubt over the implementation of various measures incorporated in the Budge.

As India is a predominantly agrarian country, the measures announced in the budget may give boost to agriculture. The proposals relating to health sector were allotted more funds. However, there was much dissatisfaction with regard to new Income Tax slabs.

Dr S Rammohan of SV Medical College said the Budget had focussed on health infrastructure. It may yield positive results. Attaching one medical college to each district hospital was a good step. But, increasing the teaching faculty in medical colleges is more important. Instead of increasing number of seats in medical colleges, the government should establish new medical colleges at different places so that the faculty strength would increase along with the quality.

Federation of Farmers Associations State president Mangati Gopal Reddy welcomed Kisan Rail and Krishi Udaan proposals and said that they had been asking for them for long. These can help farmers export even perishable products to other places without difficulty. The proposals regarding providing solar pump sets to 20 lakh farmers would give thrust to organic farming, village storage scheme. But, unfortunately, many schemes were not reaching the farmers. For instance, the government has been saying that farmers income would be doubled by 2022, but so far, no concrete measures in this direction had not been taken, he pointed out.

AP Chamber of Commerce of Rayalaseema Zonal President A Manjunath criticised the Budget, saying that no concrete steps were announced to revive the economy and the GDP. The GDP growth rate was less than 5 per cent now and the government wanted to double it. It may not be possible without promoting industrialisation, increasing employment etc., Cement continues to be under 28 per cent GST bracket and no decisions to give a boost to the housing sector were announced. AP was shown empty hand in the budget, he lamented.

P Sambaiah, Junior lecturer in a private college, felt that the changes in I-T slabs may help the middle class to some extent, though they were up to the expectations. People may have more income in their hands if the income tax rate was reduced, he said.