Union Budget 2020: Sharad Pawar says FM's budget speech lacked farsightedness & direction

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Saturday termed the 2020 Union Budget as a budget that lacked 'farsightedness and direction.' He spoke of how the budget focusses on agricultural warehousing but lacks clarity on how it will double the farmers' income. The NCP supremo also called it to be a 'distant dream.'

He further added on how the Finance Minister in one of the lengthiest speech today, ignored the Automobile sector and also did not address the unemployment issue 'fairly.'

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Railways & Civil Aviation Ministries to help farmers

As a part of the 16-point programme, the Finance Minister said, "To build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, the Indian Railways will set up Kisan Rail through the PPP (public-private partnership) model so that perishable goods can be transported quickly," Added to this is Krishi Udan by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on international and national routes. This will immensely help improve value realization especially North-East India and tribal areas."

She also said refrigerated parcel vans on select mail express and freight trains for carrying perishable cargo was also on the anvil. Perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish, meat need to be carried in such temperature-controlled vans to travel long distances. The proposal to use refrigerated parcel vans to ferry perishables was first announced by then railway minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2009-10 Budget, however, it has failed to take off.

READ | Budget 2020: Kisan Rail & Krishi Udan schemes to give farmers wings, charge agriculture

Union Budget 2020

This year's Budget assumes tremendous significance as the Indian economy is facing multiple challenges such as a rise in inflation, unemployment, farmer distress and a dip in GDP growth. While beginning her Budget speech, the Finance Minister had said that the focus would be on increasing incomes and elevating purchasing power.

In its Economic Survey 2020 released on Friday, the Union government predicted that the economic growth would pick up to 6.0% to 6.5% in the fiscal year beginning April 1, but warned that it may have to exceed its deficit target to revive growth.

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