No steps in union budget to bring down inflation: West Bengal Finance Minister

West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya Wednesday dubbed the union budget “anti-poor” and said no steps or measures were announced to bring down inflation.

Bhattacharya, minister of state (independent charge) for finance, said the difference between the old and new regime tax structures do not make sense as on the one hand it claims to provide concessions and on the other there are no measures to control inflation.

“First of all there should have been steps to bring down inflation in the country. But there is no such measure in the union budget. On the one hand you (Centre) claim to have provided concessions through tax rebates, on the other hand there are no ways to cut down inflation. So it makes no sense as the price index will go up,” she told PTI in an exclusive video interaction.

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Speaking on the general budget which announced a revamped credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs through infusion of Rs 9,000 crore, Bhattacharya said BJP leaders themselves used to claim there is no future in the MSME sector.

“The party’s (BJP) people used to say nothing can be done in the MSME sector. It is a path shown by our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. We (West Bengal) are the pioneering state which has witnessed heavy growth in the MSME sector. Now the union finance minister is following it in the union budget,” she said.

Speaking on the…