Union Budget will not have an impact on state polls: Santosh Kumar Gangwar

Demonetisation has helped to build a system to fight against black money

Union Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Friday said the Union Budget will not have any impact on the state Assembly elections.

"The budget can be presented during the state elections," he said.

Notably, the opposition parties had yesterday moved the Election Commission objecting to the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1, ahead of the Assembly elections in five states and demanded that the government be asked to defer the annual exercise till March 8, the last day of voting.

Punjab and Goa will go for polls on February 4 and the last phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur will be held on March 8.

Gangwar was speaking to media on the sidelines of the latest 70th batch of IRS induction training programme at National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) here. He was the chief guest of the inaugural ceremony.

Asked about the benefits of demonetisation, Gangwar said it will take some more time to show up.

He also said that the Reserve Bank will give its remarks on demonetisation later.

Gangwar said the November 8 decision of government has helped build sort of a system to fight against black money.

Aaked about the implementation of Goods and Services Tax, he said the government is working to introduce GST by April this year, but it may take time till October.

While addressing the gathering at NADT, Gangwar said the Income Tax department has a very impeccable image and has the least number of complaints against it.

The Income Tax department plays a very important role in collection of taxes, he said, adding that it is the responsibility of the department to improve the Excise revenue of the country.

It has been 70 years since the country got Independence, but the economic independence has started only since the last two years, he said.

The Union minister also said it is very unfortunate that there are still many villages in the country without electricity and primary health care.

The government is working to reach out to the remotest of the places in the country with education, electricity and primary health care, he added.