பட்ஜெட் விமர்சனம்...!

The take away from Budget 2025-26 is that the BJP is wooing the tax paying middle class and the Bihar electorate. These announcements will be welcomed by the 3.2 crore tax paying middle class and the 7.65 crore voters of Bihar.  For the rest of India, the Hon’ble Finance Minister had no more than soothing words, punctuated by the applause of BJP members led by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Let me first look at the financial performance in the current year, 2024-25.  

• Revised revenue receipts are lower by Rs 41,240 crore.  Revised net tax receipts are lower by Rs 26,439 crore.

• On the expenditure side, total expenditure has been cut by Rs 1,04,025 crore and capital expenditure has been cut by Rs 92,682 crore. Of this cut, the sectors that have suffered and the amounts cut are:

Health: ₹1,255 crore

Education: ₹11,584 crore 

Social Welfare: ₹10,019 crore 

Agriculture: ₹10,992 crore 

Rural Development: ₹75,133 crore 

Urban Development: ₹18,907 crore

Development of NE: ₹1,894 crore 

: Rajya Sabha MP and Former Finance Minister Shri PChidambaram