Amit Mitra, special adviser to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee on finance and a former state finance minister, today slammed the Centre for allegedly hatching “a deep-rooted conspiracy to benefit the international lobby” by presenting a Budget, which was nothing but to bring about further downfall of the common people and a “budget of debacle”.

Mr Mitra, while opposing the Union Budget alleged that the Union government has announced 100 per cent FDI (foreign direct investment) in insurance sector but simultaneously it has not stopped collecting 18 per cent GST.

Advertisement

Lashing out at the Centre he further said, “By continuing to collect 18 per cent GST while announcing 100 per cent FDI in insurance sector, has it not made it paradoxical? Won’t the international lobby be benefitted the most?”

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on two occasions written to the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking withdrawal of collection of GST from insurance schemes.

The Union minister Nitin Gadkari too had written to the finance minister seeking withdrawal of GST but nothing had been done.

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamul Congress MP and national general secretary of the party, however, called the budget having been prepared with an eye on the elections to be held in Bihar. “Just because Bihar will go to the polls this year, they’ve done everything for Bihar. They do everything keeping in mind the elections. They have rolled out a Budget for Bihar since their election is around the corner. They gave everything to Bihar. Even in the previous Budget, everything was done for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Now, the elections in Andhra Pradesh are over so they’re focussing on Bihar,” he said.

Abhishek added that when Bengal elected 18 MPs (from the BJP), even then they did not give anything to Bengal. Today also the BJP has 12 MPs, but they didn’t give anything to Bengal. These 12 MPs will not even protest. Bengal has always been deprived.

“I have to read the entire Budget. As far as the income tax rebate is concerned, there is a lack of clarity. The Budget has nothing for the common people,” added the Trinamul national general secretary.