Mon Feb 03 04:27:38 UTC 2025: ## Budget 2025: Tax Relief for Middle Class Sparks Opposition Backlash
**New Delhi** – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 on Saturday, announcing significant changes to income tax slabs resulting in an estimated one crore fewer taxpayers. The increase in the tax rebate limit to ₹12 lakh aims to stimulate the economy by encouraging increased consumption, savings, and investment, according to Sitharaman.
The new tax structure, however, has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. They contend the budget offers little for the poor and common people, accusing the government of prioritizing the middle class and potentially targeting the Bihar electorate ahead of upcoming state assembly elections. Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram highlighted significant cuts in expenditure for crucial sectors such as education, health, social welfare, agriculture, and rural development, with schemes benefiting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and minorities facing the most severe reductions.
While the budget introduced new agricultural initiatives, including the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, the overall allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare saw a meager 4% increase, rising from ₹1.32 lakh crore to ₹1.37 lakh crore. Funding for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MG-NREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) remained unchanged from the previous budget. The debate over the budget’s impact on different segments of the population is expected to continue.
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