New Delhi: Strongly criticising the Union Budget, Deepak Vig, former Metropolitan President of the Samajwadi Party, Chairman of Punjabi Vikas Manch, and a political and social analyst, said that the budget is the worst ever for India’s middle class, whose population now stands at nearly 40 crore. He alleged that the budget offers no relief to the lower-middle, middle, or upper-middle classes and instead increases their financial burden.
No Relief in Income Tax, Middle Class Ignored
Deepak Vig said that the budget has failed to provide any meaningful income tax relief to the middle class. He pointed out that there has been no exemption or relaxation in income tax slabs, which was one of the biggest expectations from the budget. According to him, the standard deduction should have been increased from ₹75,000 to ₹3,00,000 to offer genuine relief to salaried taxpayers struggling with rising living costs.
He stated that the absence of such measures shows that the government has completely ignored the middle class, which contributes significantly to the country’s tax revenues and economic stability.
Education Loans, Fees Remain Out of Reach
Raising concerns over education, Deepak Vig said that education loans should have been made more affordable by reducing interest rates to 3 percent. He also stressed that fees for basic, secondary, and higher education should have been fixed by the government to ensure affordability.
He added that fees in all educational institutions, including government, public, and private sector institutions such as IITs and IIMs, should have been brought within the reach of the middle class. Apart from transport and tuition fees, all other types of fees should have been abolished, he said, to reduce the financial pressure on families.
Healthcare Costs Continue to Burden Families
On the healthcare front, Deepak Vig said that the government should have fixed the fees for MBBS and MD courses to prevent exploitation in medical education. He further stated that hospital charges should have been regulated on a “no profit, no loss” basis to ensure affordable healthcare for all.
He expressed concern over the rising cost of health insurance, which increases every year. According to him, insurance premiums should have been reduced and made affordable for the middle class instead of becoming an additional financial burden.
*Senior Citizens, Medicines, and Daily Essentials Ignored*
Deepak Vig also demanded that senior citizens should have been given back the concessions on railway and air travel that were withdrawn by the government in 2020–21. He said that restoring these benefits would have provided much-needed relief to elderly citizens.
He further said that GST on medicines should have been reduced to 5 percent. Essential food items such as flour, pulses, rice, ghee, and edible oil should have been completely exempted from GST to control inflation and reduce household expenses.
Housing, Gold, and Small Businesses Overlooked
Criticising the government’s housing policies, Deepak Vig said that stamp duty on plots and flats up to 200 square meters should have been reduced to 2 percent. This would have helped middle-class families fulfill their dream of owning a home.
He also demanded that GST on gold and silver jewellery should have been reduced to 1 percent so that middle-class families can follow Indian traditions during weddings of daughters and sisters without excessive financial stress.
For small shopkeepers and factory owners, he said that there should have been provisions for interest-free loans in case of losses. Instead, the budget has increased taxes on the stock market, further discouraging small investors.
*Rising Costs, Internet and Mobile Charges Unaddressed*
Deepak Vig criticised the government for failing to reduce internet and mobile call charges, despite their importance in daily life. He said that the budget has done nothing to curb inflation or reduce the overall cost of living, leaving middle-class families under constant financial pressure.
Budget Pushes Middle Class Towards Poverty
Summing up his reaction, Deepak Vig said that the budget, taken as a whole, appears to be designed to push the middle class towards poverty. He alleged that instead of supporting the segment that forms the backbone of the economy, the government has imposed additional burdens while offering no meaningful relief.
He concluded by stating that this budget neither addresses inflation nor eases the cost of living and completely fails to protect the interests of the middle class, making it one of the most disappointing budgets in recent years.
