The proposal in the Union Budget to hike cess and duty on petrol and diesel, which may increase fuel prices by at least ₹2 a litre, and the decision to make Aadhaar and PAN cards interchangeable caught the attention of Delhiites on Friday.
Lamenting that a hike in fuel prices would add to the woes of the common man, 27-year-old Abhishek, a freelancer, said: “The government should think about people from lower-income groups for whom affording the inflated price is difficult. In big cities like Delhi, people can still afford the price, but if the same price is applicable in rural areas, how will they manage their livelihood?”
Jerin Ephrem, a private sector employee said: “I am disappointed after hearing of the hike in fuel prices as I was hoping that the government would reduce rates. It [price hike] might encourage people to move to electric and CNG vehicles, but the government needs to have infrastructure in place for that.”
Jasvinder Singh, a 59-year-old businessman, said: “How will the middle class survive if fuel prices keep increasing? On the one hand, salary is not increasing for the working class, on the other, prices for such necessary items are going up. How will people survive?”
Filing returns
The decision to make Aadhaar and PAN cards interchangeable got a mixed response. “It seems like a unique idea. Filing income tax returns will become easier for people who do not have a PAN card. The government’s target of bringing more people in the tax net is likely to be achieved by this move,” said Arijit Basu, a chartered accountant. However, 40-year-old Kapil said, “PAN was a way to track transactions and other things. I don’t know how the government will do the same with Aadhaar.”
Commenting that no “major reforms” were announced, Pranav Talwar, a public relations professional, said: “The government has set out a goal of making India a $5-trillion economy by 2024. But it can be achieved only if an enabling ecosystem for businesses is created.”