SRINAGAR: Former Minister of State Finance and MLA from Udhampur, Pawan Gupta was critical of the government for not publishing the Economic Survey ahead of the budget and said that the present PDP-BJP government does not want to make public the poor economic health .
He was critical of Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu’s silence over the Rs 3000 Cr fiscal deficit and wondered how and from where the Finance Minister would mobilize additional Rs 1000 cr.
Gupta said, “J and K generates a revenue of only Rs 1,900 cr from the power sector. But Finance Minister has lied about revenue of Rs 3500 cr.” He also offered to retire from politics if his claims turn out to be wrong.
The former minister was critical of complete silence on sops for agriculture sector. “The waiver of KCC Loans so announced in the last Budget has remained unimplemented till date.”
Gupta vociferously demanded complete roll back of VAT on such articles where it was enhanced from 5 per cent slab to 14 50 per cent and also where the slab from 13.50 per cent to 14.50 per cent.
Gupta further questioned the hike in aviation fuel which would impact tourism industry as air travel become expensive for the domestic traveler.
The imposition of Rs 50 as tax on cable connection has been questioned by Gupta with the plea that this government wants the people of this State not to watch the cable displaying inefficiencies of the government and this object cannot succeed and demanded roll back of the same.
Describing the budget totally insensitive towards social sector, Gupta took the Government to task on widow/ old age pension including no hike in pension for handicap from Rs 200 per month to Rs 1,000 month despite orders of the High Court.
Gupta slammed the state government for ‘No-policy for CP workers and DRWs’ and has been issuing lip-service.