Economy from ICU to ventilator: Amit Mitra

Dismissing the Union Budget as "anti-people", with there being nothing for those at the bottom of the pyramid, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Saturday said the nation's economy was now "on ventilator" after being in the Intensive Care Unit.

"This budget is anti-people. It doesn't have anything for the people at the bottom of the pyramid," Mitra, also a noted economist, told mediapersons here.

Mitra pointed out that funds meant for schemes for agriculture, health, education, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people have seen an overall cut of 8.9 per cent.

"This shows the government has no vision about the social infrastructure," he said, referring also to cuts in the fund allocations for MGNREGA and National Health Mission.

He called the Income Tax reduction proposed in the Budget a "bluff", saying the Finance Minister has "given from one hand and taken more from the other" -- a reference to the removal of all tax exemption avenues for those availing of the new Income Tax rates.

"Economy was in ICU (Intensive care unit) and now it is on a ventilator", he added.IANS