Reference Auto

And, it just showed a day after the budget when a seven-year old girl was sexually assaulted inside a school in Delhi. So, how will a safety fund save women if there is no safety plan in place? 

The rich and the middle class have been left high and dry: The wealthy, those with an annual income of Rs 1 crore or more, will pay a one-time surcharge, Rs 10 lakh, that is, while there is no relief for the middle class (tax slabs have remained the same but for those with income of up to Rs 5 lakh, there is a Rs 2,000 relief). 

A day after the budget, petrol prices have started shooting up, indicating that price rise (in every item) has assumed monstrous proportions. 

Cellphones above Rs 2,000 will be dearer as they have fallen in the high-end category and those eating out better eat in (either in restaurants that serve or don’t serve alcohol) as service tax has been added to even non-booze serving eateries. 

SUV buyers beware as these category of cars would be dearer, giving a fillip to the dismal show of the auto industry. 

Also, those investing in stock markets may burn their fingers in the medium term at least, as foreign institutional investors of FIIs have been slapped with a tax. So, bourses would stay subdued, at least for the medium term.

The government must relook at the decision, unless it wants to create another dent in the already sagging stock markets. Rajiv Gandhi Equity Scheme, a scheme targeted at the middle class to help them reap benefits of the stock markets, has been liberalised.

On the debt side, tax-free infrastructure bonds worth Rs 50,000 would be issued.

Among other allocations, defence budget has gone up to Rs 2.3 lakh crore and Rs 800 crore has been provided for promoting wind energy. 

There is little cheer for Bengal as only a port has been planned in the state. (The railway budget had almost put Metro rail expansion work in Kolkata to a standstill). Also, Andhra will get a port. There has been a regulator for road projects and 3,000 km roads would be started in the next few months. 

So, the government is taking the road expansion route to spur connectivity and development. Also, there would be 15 per cent allowance for those investing in infrastructure projects.

Seven new cities have been identified along the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor and the Bangalore-Mumbai industrial corridor has also got a push.

It’s somewhat a pro-poor budget and the government has set sights on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

About Rs 500 crore has been allocated for promoting crop diversification, Rs 200 crore for nutrient-rich crops and Rs 50 crore for farmer-producer organisations. Also, the National Livestock Mission would be launched with a corpus of Rs 307 crore.

Nearly Rs 13,250 crore has been earmarked for mid-day meal scheme, Rs 17,700 crore for Integrated Child Development Scheme and Rs 15,000 crore for drinking water and sanitation.

So by squeezing the middle class, taxing the rich and coming up with meager benefits for the poor, will the government make it big in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections?