New Delhi: There is a continuous debate in the country regarding freebies. Various state governments and the central government are at loggerheads on this issue. Amidst the ongoing debate about freebies, the middle class has high hopes from the upcoming budget. During a pre-budget interview, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government did not put money in the pockets of the middle class, but gave them metros and smart cities, which made their lives easier.

In the interview, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that there is no point in getting into the issue of what is freebies and what is not. The main point is if you have the money, make promises and give what you want, and get paid at the end. When asked about the expectations of the middle class from Budget 2023, he said, 'I can feel the pressure of the middle class, but tell me, is there any new tax on the middle class so far? No tax up to Rs 5 lakh salary. We have taken the metro to 27 cities. Are these facilities not for the middle class?

Nirmala Sitharaman further said that today the middle class is migrating from villages to cities in search of jobs and business. We have given funds to build more than 100 smart cities. Is it not to make life easier for the middle class? I have not directly put money in the pocket of every middle-class person, but these facilities have been provided through 100 smart cities. During the interview, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman discussed the issue of freebies in detail. Let us tell you that there is a debate between the state governments and the central government on the issue of freebies. States say that why the welfare schemes of the state governments are being called freebies, while the grants from the Center are called schemes of public interest.

To this Sitharaman said, 'The issue is not what is a freebie and what is not. You make some promises before the elections. For example, you promise free electricity. But only when you come to power, you come to know about the economic condition of the state. Suppose the economic condition of the state is good, then you can give free electricity. You show it in the budget as well and at the end of the year, your balance sheet should be better. Then it is not freebies. However, the Finance Minister clarified that this should also be to an extent, as the budget should be used for asset creation and not for daily expenses.

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