Key demands of common man ignored in Union Budget: Punekars

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman left the lower middle class disappointed in her maiden Budget. According to residents, the minister has ignored the key demands of the common man, increased the price of petrol and diesel, and provided no relief from high education fees.

Gorakh Kurpe, 49, an autorickshaw driver, said, “Our business is totally dependent on fuel prices. The increase in fuel prices will certainly affect our daily income. We already face competition from private cab aggregators and hiking fuel price is a wrong decision.”

“The budget holds no importance for us as most provisions are made for either the upper middle class population or the super-rich. We have to struggle to make ends meet. I work in a small private company and our salaries have not been increased, but the prices of commodities have shot up. The common man is most affected by this. Hence, there is nothing to feel good about budget 2019, ” said Mahesh Kalekar, 30, who resides in Kumbharwada chawl in Kasba peth.

Vijata Kalekar, Mahesh’s mother, said, “I am worried about the future of my grandchildren. I want them to pursue higher education, but the fees are high. There should be a provision for affordable education.”

Prakash Jagannath Shinde (62) said, “Every year, only the rich benefit from the budget. A normal worker earns ₹300 per day. It is difficult to survive in such a costly lifestyle in Pune. There is no quality of life for the common man.”

Baba Adhav, senior social activist, said, “The budget has only proved that inequality still exists between the rich and the poor. There was a reference with regards to agriculture, but the farmers were left disappointed. Similar with the employment issue, no concrete decision just a passing message. Looks like the budget was announced with respect to the forthcoming state assembly elections and not considering the common man’s plight.”