Uttarakhand budget evokes mixed reactions

A day after presenting it in the state Assembly, Uttarakhand Chief Minister R P Nishank’s budget today evoked mixed reactions, with industrial associations welcoming it.

Chairman of the CII state council Rajiv Berry welcomed the government for not introducing any new taxes. “The focus of the budget this year is on inclusive growth, infrastructure development, healthcare, tourism, education and skills development, and employment and enterprise creation. This will lead to all-round development of the state and is in line with CII’s recommendations to the state government in its pre-budget memorandum,” he said.

Reduction of VAT from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent on domestic fuel kerosene, initiatives announced for the poor and underprivileged not included in the BPL category for providing housing facilities under “Atal Awas Yojna”, were welcomed by Berry. These initiatives announced will insure inclusive development in the state, he said.

Sanctioning of tourism mega circuits announced in the budget will help the sector to grow and provide employment to local people, expressed Berry. Considering the power situation in the state, the initiatives announced for the development of power projects and alternate power resources for meeting the growing demand are also welcomed by the industry, said Berry.

Industries Association of Uttarakhand (IAU) president Pankaj Gupta also welcomed the budget saying it would spur growth in the state.

However, leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat slammed the budget, claiming the government was hiding the factual financial position by presenting a revenue surplus budget.