Acting Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee (External Affairs Minister), who presented the Interim Budget 2009-10 of the UPA Government today, clearly gave a miss to the aviation, tourism, as well as the hospitality industry. While ignoring booming industrial sectors like retail and infrastructure along with travel and hospitality, the Interim Budget clearly boosts the agriculture, rural and the education sectors of the country. In the Union Budget 2008-2009, the Finance Ministry cut down the allocation for the civil aviation sector and also the tourism sector. As reported by TravelBiz Monitor on March 1, 2008, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for the year 2008-2009 was allotted only Rs 10,031 crore for the financial year, compared to Rs 12,347 crore for 2007-2008. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) had received an allocation of mere Rs 1,000 crore for 2008, a cut of Rs 26 crore from previous year’s allocation (2007).
Citing his views on the Interim Budget 2009-2010, Biji Eapen, President, IAAI said, “The government has always disregarded the travel and tourism industry of the country. |