Hopes of tax relief dashed, budget disappoints common man

Kolkata, Feb 1 (PTI) With no change in the personal income tax slabs and no sign of reduction of prices of essential commodities and no indication of any rise in bank interest rates in the Union budget, the common people are a disappointed lot.

The budget did not address the problems faced by salaried class, homemakers and senior citizens, according to a section of such people.

"In the Covid pandemic, relief from tax burden was expected. It is very disappointing that we did not get any relief," said Partha Sanyal, a middle-aged salaried person who works in a private firm.

Homemaker Jayati Saha claimed that now budgets have become irrelevant for the common people as there is no announcement to support them.

"Prices of essential commodities and cooking gas have skyrocketed but the government is immune to problems of the common man. They are busy listening to the rich and industrialists," she said.

A senior citizen who did not wish to be quoted said the budget had nothing to offer to people like him.

As costs are rising, tax benefits could be given to senior citizens or fixed deposit rates could be increased for them but nothing of that sort happened, he said.

Small Businesses were affected by the pandemic and the economic condition of those running them has worsened, said Sanjay Karmakar who runs a small business.

"People in small businesses need more money in their hands. But the budget has nothing to offer to us. The tax slabs remained unchanged," Karmakar said.

Several train commuters said they had expected some reduction in local train fare. PTI BSM NN NN