Budget 2008

Bangalore, Feb 29 (IANS) Honchos of Indian IT industry Friday slammed the union budget for not extending tax holiday and increasing excise duty on packaged software and levying service tax on customised software.

Chennai, Feb 29 (IANS) Though the union budget has announced a number of initiatives favouring farmers, including the loan waiver of Rs.600 billion ($15 billion), the fertiliser industry, one of the links in the agriculture chain, has remained unimpressed over budget proposals.

Chennai, Feb 29 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu business community has expressed its satisfaction at the national budget 2008-09 Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented in parliament Friday.

Mumbai/New Delhi, Feb 29(IANS) Even as the tourism and hospitality sector said it has been largely ignored by the national budget for 2008-09 that Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented Friday, it welcomed the concessions to build hotels at India's world heritage sites.

London, Feb 29 (IANS) Lord Swraj Paul, founder chairman of the Caparo Group of Industries, praised Friday's budget as 'very good' but said the need to deliver to the farmer was even more important than the promised loan waiver.

Guwahati, Feb 29 (IANS) The mega tea industry in Assam Friday expressed satisfaction over the allocations in the union budget for tea research and boosting production.

Mumbai, Feb 29 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Friday said the union budget was a 'historic and revolutionary pro-rural budget', hailing the loan waiver to farmers and increased allocation to educational institutions in the state.

Hyderabad, Feb 29 (IANS) The healthcare industry has welcomed the union budget presented Friday, saying it provides an incentive to take quality healthcare to semi-urban and rural areas.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani has criticised the union budget presented Friday for its 'heavy communal overtones'.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) The Indian real estate sector has welcomed the overall impact of budget while saying that it could have done more for the industry.

Ahmedabad, Feb 29 (IANS) The Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Friday said the state was 'missing' from the 2008-09 union budget, although it has outlined many good proposals.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's announcement in his budget speech Friday that the government would soon set up a 'permanent institutional mechanism' to coordinate the fight against climate change drew mixed reactions from India's NGO community.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Petroleum Minister Murli Deora has welcomed the proposal in the union budget to replace six percent of ad valorem excise duty on unbranded petrol and diesel with an equivalent specific duty of Rs. 1.35 per litre.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Doctors, health entrepreneurs and activists Friday welcomed an increased allocation for the health sector in the budget but said 'the designated allocation is inadequate'.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) The Indian IT and ITeS industry across all sectors Friday felt let down by the national budget for 2008-09, finding little in it to boost growth prospects.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Although Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that India will through its arts and culture be projected as 'soft power' and allocated Rs.750 million ($18 million) for the purpose, the media and entertainment industry was not so happy with the budget.

Bhopal, Feb 29 (IANS) Lauding the union budget for 2008-09, Madhya Pradesh's main opposition Congress Friday said it would check inflation but the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised it saying it would only add to the common man's woes.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Friday announced Rs.14.55 billion for the development of the northeastern region in the 2008-09 budget.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Friday allocated Rs.1,111.81 crore (Rs.11.12 billion/$280 million) as the total sports budget for 2008-09, with a special provision of Rs.624 crore (Rs.6.24 billion/$156 million) for preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (ANI): Finance Minister P Chidambaran has presented a comprehensive, balanced and growth-oriented budget, said Sunil Mittal, President of Confederation of Indian Industries.