Let's Make the Middle-Class Happy Again: A Middle-Class Plea for Budget Relief

Dear Nirmala Ji,

As Budget Day approaches, I, Budget Balasubramanian, humbly write to you on behalf of my family: my dear wife Fiscalrani, our energetic son Capexraju, and my ever-prudent mor Deficitamma. Our household is a microcosm of nation's economic challenges, and we eagerly await your budget speech, hoping it brings relief to our month-end woes, which paroxically begin on 15th.

Perpetual Fiscal Deficit.

My financial journey has always felt like a perpetual fiscal deficit. When I was 20, I dreamt of buying a home worth 30 lakhs, but I h only 5 lakhs. Today, I have 1 crore, but my dream home costs 4 crores. It seems my personal fiscal deficit is more chronic than that of any government. Much like Japan's national debt, my family's gap between income and borrowings only grows wider.

Taxed to Max

In our household, everyone feels pinch of taxes. Even my retired far, who earns a modest pension, gets taxed. On top of that, I pay GST on his medical insurance. government's GST (Giant Stress Tax) collections are improving, but so is my tension. At this rate, our month-end might start on first day of month, and personal loans are quickly becoming my newest hobby.

Budget Disappointments and Television Tantrums

Every year, I look forward to budget with hope of some relief. I waste 10 hours in front of TV, searching for what's in it for me, only to realize I’ve lost anor 10 hours of my life. month-end arrives earlier than expected, with an extra dose of disappointment. This year, I've decided to skip TV and tre it for Toor Daal and tomatoes, given current rate of food inflation.

Taxpayer's Tale of Woe

As an honest taxpayer, I get stingy hospitals and potholed ros for my troubles. I pay ro tax and tolls more times than government lays ros. During monsoon, our streets turn into rivers. We get boat services right outside our homes without any GST or water tax. It's a unique perk, but not one I'm thrilled about.

Bureaucratic Bloopers and RTO Riddles

Every time I apply to renew my driving license, I find myself facing a bureaucratic Rubik's Cube. RTO officers are more complex than integral calculus. Solving this puzzle feels like a Herculean task, and every visit leaves me yearning for simpler times when avoiding taxes and paying fines seemed easier and cheaper.

Voter ID Saga

Trying to get a voter ID for my son took an entire year. Here’s how it went: To get a voter ID, I needed an dress proof, which required a ration card. To get a ration card, I needed an Ahar card, which required a bank account and a ration card. To get a bank account, I needed a driving license, which, hilariously, also required an Ahar card. By time I figured out which card I needed first, I was at end of my wits. When I finally gared all documents, I realized I needed money to go to Seva Kendra, which I didn’t have because my EMI h just been debited.

In a country where nothing works on time, it's astonishing how EMIs are promptly debited from 100 crore accounts every month without fail. I feel s for poor who have to rely on government services like hospitals and offices.

Tatkal to Bhootkaal

Booking train tickets through Tatkal feels like dealing with a ghost from past—Bhootkaal. stress of trying to secure a ticket in a system that seems rigged against us is enough to make anyone lose ir sanity. And let's not even talk about experience of actually traveling on se trains, which often feels like a journey through Dante's Inferno.

Public Transport Puzzle

Using public transport is anor venture. Buses are overcrowded, and getting a seat is like winning lottery. If you miss your stop, you might end up in next city because bus driver eir can't hear your frantic yells or doesn't care. And n re's metro, where during peak hours, you're packed tighter than sardines in a can.

Financial Rubik's Cube

Applying for a loan or renewing any document feels like solving a government Rubik's Cube. paperwork is endless, and bureaucrats are more complex than differential equations. By time you get through it, you're too exhausted to celebrate your victory.

Points We Hope Budget dresses

Tax Relief: Significant reduction in personal income tax rates to increase our disposable income and ease monthly financial crunch.
GST Reduction: Lower GST rates on daily essentials to make groceries and healthcare more affordable.
Savings Incentives: Introduce attractive savings schemes to encourage and facilitate better financial planning for middle class.
Healthcare Benefits: Tax rebates or subsidies for health and fitness-related expenses, ensuring we can afford necessary medical care and wellness activities.
Education Support: Make education more affordable through tax benefits or subsidies, easing burden of school and college fees.
Public Infrastructure: Improve public transport and ro infrastructure, reducing daily commute stress and ensuring safer travel.
Simplify Bureaucracy: Streamline bureaucratic processes to make it easier for us to access essential services without unnecessary delays and complications.
We understand importance of reducing fiscal deficit to less than 3%, keeping inflation around 4.5%, and turning current account deficit into a surplus. But all of se macroeconomic goals will only matter if I, middle-class citizen, am still alive and kicking.

Your budget can turn our financial struggles into a manageable routine, making Fiscalrani smile, Capexraju stronger, and Deficitamma less worried. Here's to hoping for a budget that brings financial relief and a little more laughter to our middle-class household.

Yours hopefully,
Budget Balasubramanian

P.S. We eagerly await your budget speech, hoping it brings good news and financial relief, making 25th to 30th of each month a time of peace rar than panic.