C J George, MD
Geojit Financial Services
What he liked
Covid package and the absence of any fresh taxation
Proposal to promote agri marketing infra
Announcement of venture capital fund with D100-crore corpus
What he didn’t
Absence of any creativity or original thinking (like KIIFB) for which the FM should not be blamed. Next budget will be keenly watched rather than this extension of the Isaac budget
Rating: 7.5/10
Sunitha Sunny
Homemaker, Kaloor, Kochi
What she liked
Funds to establish vaccine units
Allocation to establish online platforms for education
Focus given to coastal area development and low-rate agricultural loans
What she didn’t
Allocation of funds for memorials
Frontline health workers need to be appreciated and compensated well
Needed stimulus package for sellers and no moratorium this time Rating: 8/10
Dr P N Suresh Kumar
Psychiatrist, KMCT MC, Kozhikode
What he liked
The budget foreseeing Covid third wave is commendable
Infrastructure development in healthcare sector
Move for more isolation wards
Availability of equipment for vaccination drive
What he didn’t
No mention on addressing shortage of manpower in health sector
Apart from Covid patients, rehabilitation of patients with other ailments should have been given importance
Rating: 7/10
K Jayalakshmi
Junior Public Health Nurse, Kozhikode
What she liked
Setting up of isolation wards in CHCs, taluk, district and general hospitals
Efforts to vaccinate all adults
Decision to empower public healthcare system
What she didn’t
Junior public health nurses who played a vital role in achieving zero wastage of Covid vaccine not receiving Covid risk allowance
No mention on removing glitches in vaccine drive
Rating: 7/10
S Chalai Dileep
Trader, T’Puram
What he liked No new taxes
Economic revival package of C8,300 crore
A second Covid package of C20,000 crore
Loans for farmers at low interest
C5,300 crore for coastal protection
What he didn’t
Fund set aside for memorials of two prominent politicians
No subsidy for traders
Lack of fund for studying the effect of Covid in children foreseeing third wave
Rating: 6/10
Arshad Badusha
Engineering student, T’Puram
What he liked
The proposed venture capital fund of C100 crore for startups
The initiative to provide 2 lakh laptops for students
The commission formed to study our current education system
What he didn’t
Funds should have been allocated to create new vacancies in health sector
Research should be done to make online classes more effective for technological university students
Rating: 7/10