As Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed today’s Union Budget for 2022-23 as ‘Zero’, Darjeeling’s BJP MP Raju Bista highlighted some proposals in connection with development of Siliguri as Smart City and other parts of this region.

“Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment and inflation. Government is lost in big words signifying nothing-a Pegasus spin budget,” Miss Banerjee tweeted.

Similarly, in an instant reaction to the Budget tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, SUCI (C) general secretary Provash Ghosh said: “When the countrymen are being continuously assailed by pressing problems of harrowing price rise, mounting unemployment and job loss, dip in income and non-availability of proper healthcare, education and civic amenities, compounded by the two-year-long corona pandemic, the budget has not touched a single such issue in concrete terms. There has been no proposal to enhance buying capacity of the rapidly pauperized people through direct cash transfer or any such guaranteed income scheme.”

Amid the criticism in Bengal, Mr Bista, who is also one of the national spokespersons for the BJP, said: “I congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a visionary budget as our nation celebrates ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ and this budget lays the foundation for a developed India, going from 75 to 100 years, realizing the vision of a self-reliant India.”

“For the development of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the Central government will be providing support to states. Public transport will be developed and special mobility zones with zero fossil fuel policy introduced. This complements our vision of Smart Green Siliguri City, and the development of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik municipalities sustainably. With the right people at the helm of municipalities, our region will greatly benefit from these initiatives,” Mr Bista added.

It may be noted that the Siliguri Municipal Corporation is set to go to the polls on 12 February, while elections in municipalities in the Hills are also due soon. On the other hand, Secretary General of the Tea Association of India (TAI) PK Bhattacharjee said the Budget projected the vision of the government, stressing on macro-economic level growth, with a micro-economic level all-inclusive welfare, promoting digital economy with emphasis on infrastructural growth.

“Although it will be difficult to pinpoint any tea industry centric provision, some subjects do impinge upon the tea industry. The industry is looking forward to ‘Ease of Doing Business’ that should liberate the tea industry from multiple statutory obligations,” Mr Bhattacharjee said. “However, the emphasis laid by the Government of India on blending of fuel leaves the door open for levy of additional differential excise duty of Rs 2-per litre with effect from 1.10.2022 for unblended fuel,” he added.

On the provision in the Budget under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for Northeast, he said: “It will fund infrastructure, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti, and social development projects based on needs of the North Eastern region. This has the scope of projects sponsored by both Central and State Governments, however, priority will be given to those posed by the states. Allocation of Rs 1,500 crore is also Promoting Scientific Organic Agriculture in North East India.”

“In continuation to the ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’, allocation of Rs 60,000 crore has been made, which would greatly enhance the scope of provision of safe drinking water of which the tea industry worker would benefit. Furthermore, the PM Awas Yojna for eligible beneficiaries would include the tea industry workers and dependents,” the TAI has pointed out.

On the other hand, CPI-ML claimed that amidst the “pain and misery” during the Covid pandemic, the Economic Survey and Budget rubbed salt on people’s wounds. “According to Modi government’s repeated past promises, 2022 was to be the year of doubling of farm income. Budget 2022-23 is conspicuously silent on this. Agricultural investment in Budget 2022 remains stagnant and there is no direction to fulfill the core farmer demand of assured Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops,” the CPI-ML said in a press note. ”

The Oxfam Inequality Report published on the eve of the Budget 2022- 23 recorded a massive increase in economic inequality in India, showing that the income of 84 percent of households in the country declined in 2021, but at the same time the number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142. The Budget has chosen to exacerbate this inequality by announcing further reduction in corporate tax and giving no relief or income augmentation for the poor,” it added.

However, the Darjeeling MP, Mr Bista, claimed that the ‘Parwatmala Yojana’ project that seeks to establish a National Ropeways Development Programme would help the hundreds of villages in the region, where a conventional mass transport system is not feasible. “‘Parwatmala’ project will help reach those villages through ropeways. Besides improving connectivity, it will help promote tourism as well,” he said.

“Four hundred new Vande Bharat trains…will help provide additional safety and security for passengers, and accidents like the recent one near Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri will be averted completely and new train services can be initiated from Siliguri to Kolkata, Guwahati, and other cities under the Vande Bharat project,” the MP said.