The Finance Minister has let down salaried men by increasing the income-tax exemption limit from Rs 1,00,000 to just Rs 1,10,000, despite the expectation that the limit would be raised to Rs 1,50,000 due to the prevailing inflation rates.

To make it worse, the women employees enjoy a higher ceiling for exemption of Rs 1,45,000.

The Finance Minister should immediately rectify this anomaly by extending such a concession only to women employees who are the sole breadwinners for their family.

And the income-tax exemption limit should be raised to at least Rs 1,25,000 for all, keeping in mind the inflation.

N. Muralidharan
Lalgudi