'Enough done in past Budgets': Jaitley defends no relief for middle class

BUDGET 2018 - Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday defended not giving away major relief to the middle class by saying the government has already done enough in the past Budget and will further provide succour in the future depending on fiscal space.

"India has a serious challenge in terms of compliances. India has a serious challenge in term of increasing the tax base and therefore if you analyse the sum total of my last four-five budgets that I have presented, systematically to the smaller taxpayer I have given relief almost in every Budget," he said.

Citing various major announcements done in the past, he said, when the government came in the exemption limit was raised from Rs 200,000, an additional exemption of Rs 50,000 on saving so Rs 100,000 became Rs 150,000 and another exemption Rs 50,000 for housing loan repayments raising it to Rs 200,000 per year.