Sat Feb 01 17:13:53 UTC 2025: ## Chidambaram Slams Budget 2025 as “Clever Voter Ploy,” Questions Benefits for Majority
**New Delhi** – Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram launched a scathing attack on the Union Budget 2025 today, dismissing its touted benefits as insufficient and politically motivated. While acknowledging the income tax rebate for the middle class, he criticized it as a mere “clever move” to garner votes in Delhi and Bihar, benefiting only a small fraction of the population (3.2 crore out of 140 crore).
Chidambaram argued that broader relief measures, such as GST cuts, reduced fuel taxes, and increased MNREGA wages, would have offered more widespread benefits. He further questioned the introduction of new schemes while existing ones remain underfunded and underutilized.
The Congress leader expressed serious concerns about the budget’s overall impact on economic growth, pointing to a significant shortfall in revenue receipts (down by ₹41,240 crore) and revised net tax receipts (down by ₹26,439 crore). He asserted that the government has failed to demonstrate how the budget will boost growth to 8 percent, and criticized the underspending in key sectors. He concluded by expressing doubt about the government’s capacity to deliver on its promises, citing the current climate of excessive regulation and the alleged weaponization of central agencies as deterrents to private investment.
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