Budget 2018 - AITUC - Press Statement

Press Statement of AITUC – Budget 2018

Press Release

The following statement was issued to press today on budget by Ms. Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

NDA government budget fails to address the concerns of common man, unemployed and vulnerable sections.

The NDA Govt. budget presented by Finance Minister was more of a jugglery of words, manipulation of statistics and deceitful way of putting things to sell dreams once again without backing of concrete steps and actions needed to implement the statement of ‘intent’ made.

The Finance Minister ended with quote from Swamy Vivekanand but his budget was just opposed to what Swamy ji wanted India to emerge from as a powerful nation of working people to full fill their aspirations, and attain a life of dignity.

The budget once again gives huge concessions to the corporates and big businesses including on focus to foreign investments, and continued disinvestments of Public sector units to the tune of Rs. 80000 crores in the coming year. The Govt wants to be satisfied with certificate from International Monetary fund for the growth estimates, as the Govt once again appeared to be committed to tag India’s economy with International finance capital. Ease of Business continued to be the keyword.

Several heads were amalgamated & repeated across various projects while duplicating to show huge amounts of allocations which is far from truth. On the one hand side 100 percent FDI is being brought in animal husbandry and on the other side it is nearly lip service made in the budget to this sector & fisheries.

The Govt had failed to fulfill its election promise to raise income of farmers by one & half times and once again the lollypop is distributed on similar promise. Nothing serious emerged how to tackle agrarian crises which is accepted even by Economic Survey Report. Only grant of the loan limits are increased, from ten lakh crores to eleven lakh crores how to take farmers out of indebtedness is no where in sight. The amount announced is meager for creation of farmer markets and irrigation.

While speaking on Education, health & basic amenities it seemed the Finance Minister is addressing only the upper middle class, elites and not the vulnerable common man which constitutes more than 80% of population. Black board to digital board is talked but those who do not have black boards in schools or those who have no access to black boards are not in the agenda of government.

Some adjectives are added as usual to SC & ST population with inflated figures of four years as if it is for the year 2018 – 2019. The population figure is presented to appear as if all of them are going to hugely benefit.

The medical colleges are only the upgradation of existing ones, but are projected as if new colleges are coming out. Announcements on RSBY are made which would enhance the business of private hospitals and private insurance companies. But public health system is not addressed, even when health care is becoming out of reach of common man.

Cess is being increased on Education & Health which will further add to indirect taxation on common man. On the other side the tax concessions to corporate and big business continued in this budget also.

70 lakh jobs were lost after demonetization and Govt. is talking of creating only 17 lakh jobs. Another six crores of people are expected to loose livelihood in informal sector according to independent surveys &

17 lakhs formal jobs to be further lost says the same survey.

Talking of railways and airways, concern and needs of vast majority of people of public transportation are not addressed, once again the FM was playing to the gallery of elites and affluents.

The budget dodged the common people who are in misery due to price rise in essential commodities and the students youth of India who want good inexpensive education in govt. sector and the employment to live with dignity.

Released from AITUC headquarters

35-36, DDU Marg, Road Rouse Avenue, New Delhi

Akshay-8447230937

Source: Confederation

Budget 2018 - CITU - Press Statement

PRESS STATEMENT – BUDGET 2018 – CITU

Press Release

1st February 2018

THE UNION BUDGET 2018-19: ANTI-PEOPLE ANTI-WORKER AND DECEPTIVE

The Union Budget 2018-19, presented by the Finance Minister of the Narendra Modi Govt today on a preliminary scrutiny, turns out to be deceptive one, meticulously articulated to misguide and confuse the people. The Budget is anti-workers, anti-people and also militates against the national interest. CITU condemns such an anti-people exercise.

The Budget remained liberal about extending concession to business houses. On the plea of supporting Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) the Budget extended the reduced corporate tax rate of 25% to companies having Rs 250 crore annual turnover. Is the turnover the right measure of identifying an MSME or the ‘capital deployed’ should categorise the MSME more honestly ? Will it really benefit the genuine MSMEs or allow the big players to corner the benefit ? However through such deceptive manner the burden on corporate houses has been reduced further by Rs 7000 crore while giving no relief to suffering millions reeling under post GST indirect tax burden. This along with other pro-corporate policy drives continued to remain the pattern of budget exercise of the Modi Govt in successive years of its governance pushing the entire country in the midst of extreme and obscene income inequality of one percent people cornering 73% of the national wealth. And yet the Govt will continue to call itself pro-poor.

Budget speech made no mistake in mentioning its resolve to extend the atrocious “fixed term employment” system to all the sectors consistent with its brazenly anti-worker pro-corporate drive for labour-law changes designed to impose slavery on the workers. While speaking lavishly about improving health, education and social welfare services toward universalisation, it remained totally negative in considering the long standing demands of about a crore workers working in its flagship scheme of NHM, Mid-day-Meal(MDM) and ICDS (Anganwadi) and other related central govt schemes of extending them at least the right to statutory minimum wages and attendant social security benefits. In fact the allocation under National Health Mission (NHM) has been reduced and on ICDS and MDM there are marginal increase that too for other expenditures. Such an attitude is utterly condemnable.

On employment generation also, the claim made in the budget speech is also not true. In fact, even as per official estimate, the net employment generation has turned negative in absolute term if job-losses owing to closure of factories/establishments during the period is taken into account. The claim of creation of 70 lakh jobs in the formal sector said to be based on the increase in number of EPFO data as touted by a so called “independent study” upheld by the Finance Minister is another hoax to confuse and misguide the people and a cruel joke on the several lakhs of unemployed. Rather every step of this Modi Govt is degenerating the employment situation in the country; and all concessions being given to business houses by the Govt including bearing the burden of employers contribution in EPF, allowing liberal income tax rebate to employers on account of wages paid to the newly employed workers etc is actually an arrangement of organized pilferage from the national exchequer by the employers’ class in complicity with the custodians of the said exchequer, without creating any employment whatsoever. Added to this has been the recent move of abolishing all posts in central govt establishment deliberately kept vacant for last five years, killing lakhs of employment positions.

The Budget speech has gone extremely lavish in pronouncing commitments for development of agriculture and rural development along with launching so many schemes, whereas budgetary allocation for 2018-19 both on account of Agriculture and Allied Services and Rural Development marked a marginal increase of Rs 9793 crore in nominal term meaning actually a decline both in real terms and also as a percentage of GDP and total budgetary allocations. The Budget gave a shockingly surprising news that the Govt has already implemented the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at the rate of one and half times of production cost for majority of the Rabi Crops and now the Govt is committed to extend the same to Kharif crops in the current year also which is totally untrue. Even Govt’s deposition before the Apex Court in this matter is reportedly negative.

Similarly, the budgetary statement about putting in place under its flagship programme of National Health protection Scheme to provide for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families, if weighed in terms of actual budgetary allocations, turns out be another hoax. The budgetary allocation on this account is merely Rs 1600 core which can cover hardly 10 lakh families (and not 10 crore). And such discrepancy exposes the dubious intent. Overall, behind the shrill fraudulent noise of all round development, the budget continued to remain a contractionary budget and focus of almost all govt expenditures are designed to benefit only the rich and propertied business class and the common people and the workers in particular are being subjected to deeper exploitation and repression.

Budget speech lavishly spoke about developing self reliance in defence production and what is being actually done is setting the process of destruction of the existing indigenous manufacturing capabilities in the Ordnance factories, the defence PSUs and country’s shipyards by way of mass scale outsourcing in favour of private sector, both foreign and domestic turning around half of the Ordnance Factories redundant and starving the Defence PSUs and Shipyards of work-orders. On the same way, under the camouflage of expanding Railway network, the project of total privatization of Railways is being pursued in full swing. Are these in any manner serving national interests or sabotaging the same in favour of foreign players ?

The Govt has been moving fast in selling out the national assets through wholesale privatization. In the current year the target for disinvestment /privatization is kept at Rs 80000 crore to keep on the pace of its ‘destroy India’ programme under the camouflage of “Make in India”.

CITU denounced the budget 2018-19 of the Modi Govt and calls upon the working class to unitedly protest and fight against the fraud and exploitation they are being subjected to simultaneously.

Issued by

(Tapan Sen )

General Secretary

Source: Confederation

Employees Thank Prime Minister

Employees thank Prime Minister for allowing standard deduction of Rs 40,000

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Delegation of DoPT employees calls on MoS (PP) Dr Jitendra Singh

Employees thank Prime Minister for allowing standard deduction of Rs 40,000

A delegation of officials of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), called on the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here today. The officials thanked the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for incorporating their issues in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley yesterday.

The delegation was led by the DoPT Secretary Shri Ajay Mittal. The members thanked the Government for allowing them a Standard Deduction of Rs 40,000 p.a. for salaried individuals on income tax in lieu of the existing transport allowance and reimbursement of medical expenses. They also thanked the Government for taking various other welfare measures for the employees in the last three years.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that this is for the first time that a Government has acknowledged the contribution of the salaried class which is contributing the bulk of income tax collections throughout the country and accordingly, certain exemptions such as standard deduction of Rs 40,000 has been announced specifically for this class.

Shri Singh said that the Finance Minister also deserves to be lauded for having addressed the other issues of various sections and regions of the country. He also expressed happiness at the announcement of Rs 10,000 crore as “Fishery Fund” which will also benefit the people in Northeast. Bamboo Mission has a special significance for Northeast and the announcement made by the Finance Minister is a vindication of the Union Government’s continued commitment to the development of the remote regions. He said that the senior citizens faced the issues of late-age illness, lack of caretakers for help and financial constraint. He said that this has been taken care of by exemption of the interest on bank account from income tax up to Rs.50,000, enhancement of the health insurance amount up to Rs.50,000 and hike in medical expenditure. The budget is common man friendly and addresses issues of all sections, he added.

Source: PIB

Budget 2018-19 - New Railways In New India Budget

Budget 2018-19 - New Railways In New India Budget

Ministry of Railways

New Railways in New India Budget

New India Budget to transform Railways into a modern, safe, green, affordable and comfortable mode of transport

Drastically scaling up investments by almost three times to Rs 1,48,528 cr. in 2018-19 (BE) as against Rs 53,989 cr. in 2013-14

Highest priority to safety – total expenditure planned on safety activities including is Rs. 73,065 cr in 2018-19 (BE)

Railways to electrify the entire network

600 Stations are to be developed with world class facilities. Escalators to be provided at all stations with passenger footfall above 25,000. Stations and trains will be provided with wi-fi facility for information and entertainment; CCTV cameras across all stations and trains for security

Improved suburban services to Mumbai with 90 kms line doubling of around Rs. 11,000 cr & 150 kms additional lines worth Rs. 40,000 cr for enhancing transportation in Mumbai with expansion of suburban railway system

160 kms suburban network worth Rs. 17,000 cr in Bengaluruto help reduce congestion there and save commuting time of passengers

Rail University at Vadodara to be set up

Operating ratio of 2018-19 (BE) is estimated at 92.8% as against 96% in 2017-18 (RE)

Total Revenue receipts in 2018-19 (BE) are estimated to increase by 7% to Rs. 2,01,090 cr.

Total Revenue expenditure in 2018-19 BE is estimated to increase by 4% to Rs. 1,88,100 cr.

The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, in his speech for General Budget 2018-19 has laid out a roadmap for Indian Railways, which is in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of New India by 2022. In the past four years, Government has taken several decisions to transform Railways into a modern, safe, green, affordable and comfortable mode of transport.

Subsequent to the presentation of the Budget in Parliament today, The Union Minister for Railways and Coal Shri Piyush Goyal informed that Government is drastically scaling up investments by almost three times to Rs 1,46,500 cr. in 2018-19 as against Rs 53,989 cr. in 2013-14to reduce accumulated backlog in capacity creation.Shri Goyal pointed out that this is 22% higher than 2017-18 (RE), and includes budgetary support of Rs. 53,060 cr; internal resources of Rs. 11,500 cr; IRFC to raise Rs. 28,500 cr; Institutional Finance (LIC) to support with Rs. 26,440 cr; and investment through PPP of Rs. 27,000 cr. Briefing the mediapersons, the Minister explained that Government has provided Rs.19,40Cr towards reimbursement of losses on operation of strategic lines and Rs 88Cr towards reimbursement of operational cost of e ticketing to IRCTC.

Physical Achievements and Initiatives

Shri Goyal also emphasized that in this Budget 2018-19, Government has accorded highest priority to safety in line with its philosophy of every life is precious. The total expenditure planned on safety activities including Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) is Rs. 68,725 cr in RE 2017-18 and Rs. 73,065 cr in BE 2018-19. The RRSK will comprise Rs. 5,000 cr from Capital (Budgetary Support), Rs. 10,000 cr from Railway Safety Fund received as Railways’ share from Central Road fund & Rs. 5,000 cr from Railways’ revenue. Apart from elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings on all busy routes and shift to production of safer LHB coaches, there is focus on track renewal with the highest ever outlay ever.

Track renewal works	RE 2017-18	BE 2018-19	Increase %
Target (Route Kms)	3,600	3,900	8.3%
Outlay (Rs. in cr)	9,305	11,450	23.0%

The Union Minister for Railways and Coal Shri Piyush Goyal said Indian Railways is powering India by being the main transporter of coal. Soon the power sector will give added energy to railways, which will electrify the entire network within the next 5 years. This will lead to an estimated saving of Rs. 10,000 cr per annum, help in reducing carbon emissions and promote sustainable development, besides increasing India’s energy security by saving foreign exchange on imported fuels.

The Minister also informed that 600 Stations are to be developed with world class facilities. Escalators will be provided at all stations with passenger footfall above 25,000. All railway stations and trains will be provided with wi-fi facility for information and entertainment. This will also enable people in rural areas, including women and youth, to access the internet and enhance their knowledge and skills. To enhance safety and security of passengers, Indian Railways will set up CCTV cameras across all stations and trains to enhance security.

Considering that Railways is one of the safest, economical and sustainable modes of transport, Shri Goyal said Railways will focus on providing improved suburban services to metros like Mumbai with90 kms line doubling of around Rs. 11,000 cr. In addition, 150 kilometers of additional suburban network is being planned Rs. 40,000 crore for enhancing transportation in Mumbai with expansion of suburban railway system. Railways will also build 160 kms suburban network worth Rs. 17,000 cr in Bengaluru to help reduce congestion there and save commuting time of passengers.

In the General Budget 2018-19, Government has also approved settingup of India’s first Rail and Transportation University in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Railways has ambitiously increased targets in capacity building to ease the network and ensure highest standards of safety, speed and service for customers.

	2017-18 (RE)	2018-19 (BE)	Increase %
New lines (RKMs)-402	1,000	148.8%
Gauge conversion (RKMs)	574	1,000	74.2%
Doubling (RKMs)-945	2,100	122.0%
Wagons(vehicle units)	7,120	12,000	68.5%

Financial and operating performance

Replying to queries regarding operating ratio, Minister said as of 2018-19 (BE) Operating Ratio is estimated at 92.8% as against 96% in 2017-18 (RE). The excess of revenue over expenditure is Rs. 12,990 cr in 2018-19 (BE).

Total Revenue receipts in 2018-19 (BE) are estimated to increase by 7% to Rs. 2,01,090 cr. Gross Traffic Receipts are also estimated to increase by 7% to Rs. 2,00,840 cr. Sundry other earnings are estimated to increase by 49% to Rs. 20,790 cr.

Total Revenue expenditure in 2018-19 (BE) is estimated to increase by 4% to Rs. 1,88,100 cr. Major components include Ordinary Working Expenses (Rs. 1,38,000 cr.), appropriation to DRF (Rs. 500 cr.) and appropriation to Pension Fund from Revenue (Rs. 47,500 cr.).

It was also noted that there is focus on freight earnings with estimated increase of 51MT in 2018-19 (BE) over 2017-18 (RE). 2017-18 has seen a reversal of the trend of low growth in freight loading over the previous 2 years. Incremental loading in April-January 2018 is 45 MT over the same period last year. There has been incremental loading of 6 MT in January itself. This highlights move towards sustainable railway operations.

Source: PIB

Budget Disappointing For The Labour – BMS

Budget disappointing for the Labour – Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh

Press Statement Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh

Ref-BMS/D-20/37/2018

Dated-01-02-2018

Press statement issued by Sri Virjesh Upadhyay , General Secretary ,BMS ON 1st February 2018.

Budget disappointing for the Labour – BMS to hold countrywide demonstrations on 2nd February

Even though today’s budget for the first time has given more thrust to rural development, agriculture, health, infrastructure etc., it has totally neglected the woes of labour. Anganwadi workers, ASHA karmis and other scheme workers who belong to the poorest paid workers appointed under the Central Government have nothing as relief in the budget. Middle class employees are unhappy with no increase in their ceiling for tax exemption; at the same time the cess on income tax is increased from 3% to 4%. This was done at a time when the budget claimes 41% increase in the tax payers’ net.

Moreover the Government treasury has been hugely benefitted by the new GST regime, demonetization and digitalized bank transactions. Now there is a system by which last paise to be paid as direct or indirect tax will reach the Govt. treasury.

The unorganized sector workers’ Social security fund is also not given any support in the budget. Budget says the women employees need to pay only 8% contribution to EPF in startups. The increase in take home salary for women will reduce 16% of their future savings in the EPF when they leave their establishment within few years. The burden of merger of Insurance Companies also will be on the workers, and there is no Government’s assurance on their job security, transfer, promotion etc.

There is also no provision for revival of viable sick CPSUs, instead the Government is focusing its attention on Strategic sale of 24PSUs; increase in EPF pension from the current Rs.1000/- and budget allocation for cess withdraw from 9 labour welfare funds. Budget also omitted to increase allocation for MGNREGA so that it can increase the wage and number of working days.

Budget unilaterally announces fixed term employment to be extended to all employment. All labour related changes in law has to be discussed in the tripartite forum and then finalized. Now the draft notification on fixed term employment issued on 8th January is pending consultation with trade unions. In the meanwhile it is totally unfair on the part of Government to unilaterally announce it in Budget.

All these shows the total neglect of Government on labour. It is a labour unfriendly budget.

Hence, BMS decided to protest against Budget. It directs all its units to hold demonstrations demanding review on budget proposals.

its future course on unsettled issues related to labour will be decided in the coming National Executive Committee meeting to be held on 6-8 February .

Yours faithfully,

sd/-

(Virjesh Upadhyay)

General Secretary

Source: Confederation

Key Points Of Union Budget 2018-19

Union Budget Highlights 2018-19

• No changes in income tax slabs or rates: Finance Minister
• Personal Income Tax rates unchanged; Rs. 40k standard deduction in lieu of present exemption: FM
• Senior citizens can claim benefit of reduction Rs. 50,000/ year w.r.t any general health expenditure and health insurance premium: FM
• Rs 40,000 standard deduction to salaried people: FM
• Companies with turnover of upto Rs. 250 cr to be taxed at 25%: FM
• Made many positive changes in personal income tax rates in the past years; no change in Income Tax slabs this year : FM Arun Jaitley
• 100% tax deduction for first five years to companies registered as farmer producer companies with a turnover of Rs. 100 crore and above: FM
• 12.6% growth in direct taxes in 2017-18; 18.7% growth in indirect taxes in 2017-18: Finance Minister
• Revised fiscal deficit estimate for 2017-18 is 3.5% of GDP, fiscal deficit of 3.3% expected for 2018-19: FM
• MP salaries to be revised with effect from 1 April, 2018. It will increase every 5 years indexed to inflation: FM
• Emoluments of President to be revised to Rs 5 lakh per month and emoluments of Vice-president to be revised to Rs 4 lakh per month: FM
• Rs 80,000 crore disinvestment target for 2018-19; target for 2017-18 exceeded and will reach Rs 1 lakh crore: FM
• Regional Connectivity Scheme ‘UDAN’ shall connect 56 unserved airports and 31 helipads in the country: FM
• Mission on cyber space will be launched in support of establishment of centres of excellence: FM
• Railway stations with more than 25,000 footfalls will have escalators, trains will have WiFi and CCTV services: FM
• Ujjwala Yojana helped millions of poor get free LPG connection: FM
• Redevelopment of 600 major railway stations taken up; Mumbai transport system being expanded; suburban network of 160 km planned for Bengaluru: FM
• Cleaning of river Ganga is of national importance, have sanctioned 187 projects under Namami Gange scheme: FM
• Mass formalisation of MSME sector is happening after demonetisation and GST: FM
• Govt will contribute 12% of wages of new employees in EPF for all sectors for the next 3 years: FM
• 76% of loan accounts are of women and more than 50% belong to SC, ST and OBC under the Mudra Yojana. Rs 3 lakh crore will be lent under Mudra Yojana in 2018-19: FM
• 24 district level colleges will be upgraded: FM Arun Jaitley
• Air Pollution in Delhi NCR is a cause for concern, special scheme will be implemented to support Govts of Haryana, Punjab, UP and Delhi NCT to address it and subsidize machinery for management of crop residue: FM
• Govt plans to construct 2 crore more toilets under swachhbharat Mission: Finance Minister
• Govt. to initiate integration of B.Ed programme for teachers; Centre to start Eklavya schools for ST population: FM
• Govt to subsidise removal of crop residue to tackle problem of pollution due to burning of crop residue: FinMin
• Govt to set up fishery & aquaculture infrastructure fund; also to set up animal husbandry infrastructure fund with a total corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents Budget 2018 in Parliament
• MSP of crops shall be increased to 1.5 times that of the production cost: FM Arun Jaitley in LokSabha
• Manufacturing sector is back on growth path; Exports are expected to grow by 15% in 2017-18 : Finance Minister
• With the introduction of the GST, the indirect tax system has been made simpler: FM
• We pledged to give India an honest and clean govt; we promised to reduce poverty and create strong and New India: FinMinIndia
• Govt has successfully implemented series of structural reforms as a result of which India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world
• FDI has gone up and it is easier to do business in India; Indian economy is now a 2.5 trillion economy: FinMin
• We hope to grow at 7.2% – 7.5% in second half of 2017-18; We are on track to grow at 8% and good governance is our priority: FM