Bijo Abraham, who works in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, eagerly awaited the Budget 2025, wondering how much tax would be imposed on his salary. As a father of two daughters, he needs to plan for their future, and the announcement of the income tax rebate has brought him joy.
“I am happy about the tax rebate. No tax for up to Rs 12.75 lakh. It will help me a lot as I can save a bit more for my daughters’ higher education. Also, with the rising cost of living, this will help the middle class a lot,” he said sitting at his home in Rashbehari, Kolkata.
Kinshuk Sanyal, 37, a Lake Town resident working in the IT sector, welcomed the Budget but raised a concern about tax fairness. “This time the government has thought of the middle class and the salaried class. But this should not be called income tax; it should be called salaried tax because it’s the salaried class who is paying it. The government should ensure that all those who earn pay taxes. Then only can it be called income tax.”
Sharmistha Chakraborty, a 65-year-old resident of Tollygunge and a housewife suffering from breast cancer, expressed concerns about healthcare costs. “Cancer treatment is very expensive, with medication, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Though it is a common disease now, it is not affordable for lower- or middle-income groups. I am a widow and a lot of my savings go towards treatment expenses. The monthly cost is around Rs 60,000-70,000. This reduction in the price of medicines is welcome, but we need to see when the medicine companies will implement it.”
Sushil Poddar, a 70-year-old retiree who lives alone in his Lake Gardens apartment, is happy about the Budget. “I worked in a private firm, so there is no pension. Whatever savings I could make after running the household and securing my children’s future is all I have been left with now. With high interest rates, that will help me a lot. I have also heard that prices of many medicines have been reduced, which will really help us senior citizens. Now I pay around Rs 15,000 for my monthly medical bills. Hopefully, that will decrease a bit.”