Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal today gave broad hints about a "forward-looking, foundation-laying" Union Budget to be placed in Parliament on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Speaking at the daylong India TV Conclave on Delhi Elections "Chunav Manch," Piyush Goyal said, "The Budget to be placed on February 1 will be a very good one (badhiya Budget hoga); it will be a forward-looking Budget which shall aim at making India the third largest economy in the world in the next two and a half years. The aim is to make India's economy increase by ten times from Rs 350 lakh crore today to Rs 3,500 lakh crore, and the objective will be to ensure 140 crore Indians benefit from this. The Union Budget will lay the foundation towards that end."
Asked about the "middle class manifesto" released by AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, making seven demands related to health, education, tax rebates, and pensions, Piyush Goyal smiled, saying, "It seems Kejriwal has realised he is losing, and he is now trying to play the role of an opposition leader."
In his 7-point middle-class charter of demands, Kejriwal had demanded that the education budget be hiked from 2 per cent to 10 per cent, fee for private schools be capped, subsidies and scholarships be given for higher education, and the health budget be raised to 10 per cent, apart from removing tax on health insurance.
For the middle class, Kejriwal had demanded raising the income tax exemption limit from the present Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and the removal of GST from essential commodities, better retirement and pension schemes for senior citizens, free treatment for senior citizens in all hospitals, and a 50 per cent rail travel concession for senior citizens.
Piyush Goyal replied, "It is clear that Kejriwal has realised that his popularity is declining and his party is going to lose power in Delhi. So, he is getting into the role of an opposition leader and giving advice to the Centre. I want to reassure both Kejriwal and the people of Delhi that Prime Minister Modi always keeps the national and public interest in mind in each of his budgets, which aims to achieve a bright future for the country."
The Union Minister lashed out at Delhi's AAP government for its role during the Covid pandemic in Delhi.
He said, "While Mumbai had a population bigger than that of Delhi, there was no shortage of oxygen in the city because its demand for 225 to 250 tonnes of oxygen was being fulfilled, while in Delhi, the AAP government was totally confused. First they demanded 250 tonnes, then they raised their demand to 400 tonnes, and then they hiked their demand to 700 tonnes."
Goyal said, "When 700 tonnes of oxygen were sent to Delhi, there was no place to keep the oxygen, and the tankers filled with oxygen used to wait idle for four to six days. Yet people in Delhi did not get oxygen, because there was complete mismanagement in the government. The city administration had totally failed."
On Kejriwal's challenge that his former official residence, dubbed as 'Sheesh Mahal' by BJP, be opened to the public, Goyal said, "Kejriwal's credibility is now zero. He is now engaged in a diversionary tactic. All the pictures inside the Sheesh Mahal are in the public domain and have been shown on TV channels. Why is his government not making the CAG report on his Sheesh Mahal public? The CAG report is lying with his government. His government also has the CAG report on the liquor scam. Let him make this CAG report also public."
Full interview with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal can be accessed on this YouTube link: