Budget 2021: Farming community divided, call it interim budget for agriculture
In Budget 2021, FM Nirmala Sitharaman introduced an agri infra and development cess of up to 100 percent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers income.
(Image: AP)
The farming community is divided over the Union Budget 2021 unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. While on the one hand, the FM proposed a 10 percent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, the allocation for the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare was slashed by 8.5 percent.
Similarly, the flagship PM-KISAN scheme also saw a 13 percent drop in the budget, which is Rs 10,000 crore less than the last year’s initial allocation.
Should Sitharaman choose to levy a cess or a surcharge for the Covid vaccine drive, without some rejig of tax slabs, the burden of taxpayers will rise further