Thomas Isaac has dispelled the argument of the Opposition that the budgetary proposal to levy 1% ‘flood cess’ on goods and services will send the prices of commodities spiralling upwards. A mere 1% increase in the MRP on products would not trigger a price rise as wrongly predicted by the Opposition. He said the government faced the challenge of registering a 30% increase in revenue this fiscal. Dr. Isaac said the universal health scheme proposed in the Budget was better than the Karunya scheme. It was the legacy of the UDF’s fiscal mismanagement.

Source: The Hindu January 31, 2019 12:22 UTC