Former Deputy Prime Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi terms budget 2015 as anti farmers

Lahore: Pakistan Muslim League (PML) senior central leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi has said that the rulers have touched the height of oppression on the farmers, even farmer selling milk of four buffaloes has been taxed, by increasing prices of petrol and diesel every item has been made dearer for common man, meager rise in the salaries of public servants is nothing but peanuts.

Giving remarks about new federal budget for financial year 2015-16 here today, Ch Parvez Elahi said that with huge deficit of Rs 16.25 trillion in the budget of Rs 44.51 trillion and levying of new taxes of Rs 253 billion, the new budget could not be described as the peoples budget in any way, this budget is anti-people, N-League govt has for third time but it has learnt no lesson, price of dry milk in the international market has come down to 2300 dollars per ton from 4000 dollars per ton then its price has been increased here, levying tax on milk, yogurt, butter, cheese, flavoured milk cannot be termed as showing sympathy with the people, , this is not a budget but bomb of dearness which has been thrown on the people.
He said further that the people need employment, prosperity, electricity and gas and not roads and bridges, 70 per cent population is rural population but the govt has allocated nothing for them in the budget, farmer already much worried, after the budget the rest will also be “accomplished”, ” it seems to me that the farmers will now bring their buffaloes, cows and other livestock on the roads along with their families.
Continuing Ch Parvez Elahi said asked the rulers convene APC on terrorism and Pak China Economic Corridor, why not on economy ?, the govt should not impose it sweet will on the budget, the budget should be such on all parties have consensus.
He said meager increase of 7.5 per cent in the salaries of public servants is nothing more than peanuts, it was already difficult to run the domestic budget and now it has become impossible to run domestic budget, people have got nothing but disappointment from the speech of the Federal Finance Minister, only increase in tax echoes in the budget, there is no mention of relief whatsoever nor measures for curbing dearness of essential and articles are visible in it, in fact the budget lacks policies because essential articles prices have not come down, as such this budget is not people friendly but anti-people, the poor man will not get any benefit from it.