New Delhi: With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget 2020-21, around 44.7 per cent respondents in an IANS-Cvoter survey feel that the Budget was pro-poor to a large extent.
Around 32.9 per cent of the people surveyed described the Budget as “little bit” tilted towards the financially weaker section and 17.1 per cent think that it is not at all pro-poor.
The remaining 5.3 per cent respondents did not give any specific reply.
Sitharaman said that the Budget was woven around three themes — aspirational India, economic development and caring society. She also said that it aims to increase the purchasing power of the people.
Aspirational India, which includes agriculture, rural development, wellness, water, sanitation and education, has an outlay of Rs 4.82 lakh crore as against Rs 4.67 lakh crore last year.
Caring Society, which includes women and child development, social welfare, culture and environment, has an allocation of Rs 62,626 crore as against Rs 59,036 crore last year.
The ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan’ (PM-KUSUM) will be expanded to help 20 lakh farmers in setting up standalone solar pumps, said Sitharaman among other measures for farmers.
The Budget speech claimed to set the agricultural credit target at Rs 15 lakh crore.
Also, during the post-budget survey when people were asked whether the budget was pro-capitalist, around 40.9 per cent said that it is pro-capitalist to a large extent.
Around 35.8 per cent respondents thought that it was little bit inclined towards big business while 16 per cent denied any such inclination. The rest 7.2 per cent respondents said that they did not have any opinion.
