‘Zero for common people’, ‘Not the answer’: Opposition leaders, educationists on Budget 2022

NEW DELHI: In the Union Budget 2022 presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today, the announcement of setting up of digital university and 200 new TV channels under ‘One Class, One TV Channel’ programme has received criticism from education experts and opposition leaders.

Union Budget 2022 Live Updates.

While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Budget 2022 has nothing for common people, the leader of Communist Party, Sitaram Yechury asked, “Budget for whom?”

Banerjee tweeted in capital letters, “BUDGET HAS ZERO FOR COMMON PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING CRUSHED BY UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION. GOVT IS LOST IN BIG WORDS SIGNIFYING NOTHING - A PEGASUS SPIN BUDGET.”

BUDGET HAS ZERO FOR COMMON PEOPLE, WHO ARE GETTING CRUSHED BY UNEMPLOYMENT & INFLATION. GOVT IS LOST IN BIG WORDS SIGNIFYING NOTHING - A PEGASUS SPIN BUDGET

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 1, 2022

करोना काल में लोगों को बजट से बहुत उम्मीद थी। बजट ने लोगों को मायूस किया। आम जनता के लिए बजट में कुछ नहीं है। महंगाई कम करने के लिए कुछ नहीं।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 1, 2022

Yechury called the Budget 2022, a “criminal assault” on youth of India and said in a tweet, “India has 200 million missing jobs today. No urban employment guarantee announced. MGNREGA allocation remains the same as last year ₹73Kcr, which fell short by nearly Rs 50,000 crore. A criminal assault on the livelihood of our youth. #Budget2022.”

India has 200 million missing jobs today.
No urban employment guarantee announced.
MGNREGA allocation remains the same as last year ₹73Kcr, which fell short by nearly ₹50Kcr.
A criminal assault on the livelihood of our youth. #Budget2022

— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 1, 2022

Policy researcher Yamini Aiyar said new channels and e-content is not the solution. “Kudos to FM for recognising loss from 2 years of school closure but really one class one TV, e-content is NOT the answer. Opening schools is the and. Are we so blind to realities on the ground?,” she tweeted.

Kudos to FM for recognising loss from 2 years of school closure but really one class one TV, e-content is NOT the answer. Opening schools is the and. Are we so blind to realities on the ground?

— Yamini Aiyar (@AiyarYamini) February 1, 2022

“Learning loss of two years to be compensated by Setting up TV channels, really????? It shows that we are not serious about the loss of learning of our children. Open the schools & get children back for in person learning. Invest in school education,” tweeted Chandrakant Leheriya who is a doctor and writer.

#UnionBudget2022
Learning loss of two years to be compensated by
Setting up TV channels, really?????

It shows that we are not serious about loss of learning of our children.

Open the schools & get children back for in person learning.

Invest in school education

— Chandrakant Lahariya (@DrLahariya) February 1, 2022

Dipa Sinha, assistant professor of Economics at Ambedkar University, Delhi said in a tweet, “digital india zindabad! TV channels to make up for school closures, digital university, digital tele mental-health -- who cares for digital divide #Budget2022”

digital india zindabad! TV channels to make up for school closures, digital university, digital tele mental-health -- who cares for digital divide #Budget2022

— Dipa Sinha (@sinhadipa) February 1, 2022

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticised Union Budget 2022 and said, “This budget will prove to be a budget to increase inflation, to fill the pockets of industrialists and to empty the pockets of common man, farmer and labourer. #Budget2022.”

यह बजट महंगाई बढ़ाने वाला, उद्योगपतियों की जेब भरने वाला एवं आम आदमी, किसान, मजदूर की जेब खाली करने वाला बजट साबित होगा। #Budget2022 pic.twitter.com/nupaXNEeOx

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) February 1, 2022