Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, stated that the budget has only completed formalities, providing no relief to taxpayers and lacking a roadmap to address rampant inflation. He emphasized the neglect of farmers’ demands, including MSP, in the budget. Hooda expressed disappointment from various sectors, stating that homemakers, laborers, employees, and the business class also felt let down.
He pointed out the continuous increase in the government’s fiscal deficit over the last decade, rising from 4.8% during the UPA government until 2014 to the current 5.8%. Additionally, there has been a significant decline in the GDP growth rate. The average growth rate during the UPA government stood at around 8%, while in the 10 years of BJP, it failed to reach 6%. Hooda concluded that there is little hope for an economic improvement from this budget.
