On February 29, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Union Budget for the year 2016-17. Last year’s Budget was seen as lack-lustre by many since the ruling party came to power on the promise of major reforms, and the announcement fell short of expectations. But it was argued then that the government did not have enough time to come out with comprehensive reforms since they were voted in only in 2014.
Will 2016 be the blockbuster Budget which everyone has been expecting from the Modi government? Will the government further liberalise the economy to unlock the country’s growth potential? Will there be efforts made towards controlling costs and reducing taxes? Will the government increase social sector spending?
We will know the answers by Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, we asked citizens cutting across demographics and professions as to what they expect from the government. Some of them belong to sections which are usually ignored in the media discourse on the Budget. Here’s the wish list of a average middle-class family.
Names: Venkatraman, Subhashini and family
Age: 40, 37
Occupation: Businessman, IT professional
What they want
Education has become very expensive. The minimum amount we need to spend on our child’s education is Rs.2 lakhs per year, and this is not affordable for a common man. Government should work towards reducing cost.
The condition of the roads is pathetic. Especially in Coimbatore, the roads are in such a bad state. The government needs to start building more roads in rural areas.
The prices of vegetables keep fluctuating. The price of tomatoes and onions are always high.
Entertainment is getting expensive. Nowadays, we opt for going to malls for watching movies instead of theatres. If we go for a movie then we will buy snacks and beverages from there, it is all very expensive.
The budget mainly needs to bring down the prices of food products and services sector.