Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday welcomed the income tax relief announced in the Union Budget 2023-24, which he said would ensure more savings for the middle class.

On the other hand, state Congress president Kamal Nath termed the Budget a cover-up of unfulfilled old promises by "jumlas" (false promises).

Chouhan termed "revolutionary" the Budgetary announcement to recruit more than 38,000 teaching and supporting staff for residential Eklavya Model Schools, which he said will improve the talents of the tribal society.

"In #AmritKaalBudget, the finance minister has given a big relief to the middle class by increasing the tax slabs and changing the new tax regime. Now, this will leave more money in the hands of people, increase consumption and accelerate growth. This step honours their selfless contribution to the country's GDP," he tweeted.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced no tax for those with an annual income of up to Rs 7 lakh under the new tax regime but made no changes for those who continue in the old regime that provides for tax exemptions and deductions on investments and expenses such as HRA.

Chouhan congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman for this "much-awaited" measure and said, "This is a government which takes decisions in the interest of citizens and the nation by respecting public sentiments in the true sense".

The senior BJP leader also said the proposed recruitment of 38,000 teaching and supporting staff for residential Eklavya Model Schools will bring unprecedented change in the lives of tribal students.

"This will give a new direction to the lives of my tribal sons and daughters of the country as well as of Madhya Pradesh," he said.

The finance minister said as many as 38,800 teachers will be recruited for Ekalavya Model Residential Schools.

On the other hand, Kamal Nath said the Finance Minister's budget speech is an attempt to "cover up old promises of the government with 'jumlas'. We expected the FM will throw light on the announcements that were to be completed in 2022".

Referring to the "unfulfilled promises" of the BJP-led Central government, Nath tweeted, "the income of farmers was to be doubled by 2022, housing was to be available to every poor by 2022, the bullet train was to run in the country by 2022. But the Finance Minister neither gave any reason for the non-fulfilment of these announcements nor apologized to the people of the country".

The former chief minister said the Budget shows the government intends to divert "the attention of people from the present complex situation by showing hollow dreams of the future".

"This trend is not good for the country and the economy," he added.

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