'Extremely disappointing, a damp squib': Shashi Tharoor on Budget 2022-23

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that the Union Budget is "extremely disappointing, a damp squib" and there is absolutely nothing.

Speaking to ANI, the Congress MP said there is no mention of MGNREGA, Defence or any other urgent priorities facing the public.

"Extremely disappointing, a damp squib! There seems to be absolutely nothing in this Budget. It's an astonishingly disappointing Budget. When you listen to the speech, no mention of MGNREGA, of Defence, of any other urgent priorities facing the public," said Tharoor.

He further said that the country have to wait for 25 more years for 'acche din' to arrive.

"We are facing terrible inflation and there's no tax relief for the middle class. This is a Budget that seems to be pushing the mirage of 'achhe din' even farther away. Now it's India at 100, we'll have to wait for 25 more years for 'acche din' to arrive," said the Congress MP.

"Very clear that as far as digital currency is concerned, Government was heading in that direction. To the best of my knowledge, a reasonable proposition, I don't think we will be criticising that. But we are more concerned about lack of substance for common citizens in Budget," he added.

India has set a target to reduce fiscal deficit to 6.4 per cent of GDP in 2022-23 from the estimated 6.9 per cent in the current financial year, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.

For the current financial year 2021-22, the fiscal deficit has been revised upward at 6.9 per cent of GDP as against 6.8 per cent projected in the Budget Estimates.

Presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said gifts received in the form of cryptocurrencies will also be taxed at the same rate.

The Finance Minister also announced that the Reserve Bank of India will issue a digital rupee in the next financial year.