CPI calls budget anti-people, organises sit-in
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 13 2023: Denouncing the union budget 2023 as anti-poor and anti-people, Communist Party of India (CPI) Manipur State Council on Monday organised a sit-in protest at Irawat Bhawan, here.

Speaking on the occasion, CPI former secretary L Sotinkumar contended that the union budget-2023 was prepared in the interest of a handful of people and as such the party is organising nation-wide protest against the budget, he said.

India is ranked at 107th out of 121 countries in World Hunger Index and yet the government has cut food subsidy by 31 per cent.

Despite the huge impact in health sector by the Covid-19 pandemic, the budget has slashed 34 per cent in Ayushman Bharat scheme and 1 per cent in National Health Mission.

Moreover, there is no provision for improving the conditions of Anganwadi workers, helpers, ASHA workers, Midday meal workers and girls' education, he maintained.

According to CPI Manipur state council assistant secretary M Joykumar Luwang, the union budget 2023-24 shows an estimated expenditure of Rs 45 lakh crore and revenue estimate of Rs 27 lakh crore.

There is a gap of around Rs 18 lakh crore, which is the fiscal deficit.

Despite such huge gap, the budget lacks any provision or policy to collect more tax from corporates.

The overall debt of the country is set to reach Rs 150 lakh crore in 2023 against Rs 55 lakh crore in 2014, and all these burdens will fall upon the poor and common people and not on the billionaires, he said.

CPI state secretary L Thoiren spoke on how a US based financial research institute called Hindenburg Research exposed accounting fraud and stock manipulation in Adani Groups.

As a result, the stock price of Adani Group fell by 25 per cent.

Several stock investors among the common people suffered heavy loss while LIC and SBI are said to be among the top losers as per media report.

Suspicions of having close nexus between Adani and those in the government are also being brought up, he said.

CPI Manipur state council assistant secretary N Singhajit also spoke on several aspects of the budget while calling it as a fiscal policy against the interest of the common people.

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