Hyderabad: Ruling TRS president and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday called the Union Budget 'directionless and useless' and said that it 'disappointed' all sections of the society including the farmers.
"The Budget introduced by the BJP-led government at the Centre had no direction or intent and it is a useless and purposeless Budget," he said in a statement. Referring to the Global Hunger Index where India ranks poorly at 101, a position worse than Nepal and Bangladesh, he expressed disappointment that food subsidies had been dropped from the budget.
The entire budget speech by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was hollow and nothing but 'jugglery of words', he said. The NDA government, through the budget, heaped praise on itself, while actually pushing the common man into unhappiness and depression, Rao said. Describing the budget as a 'golmaal budget', he claimed that it did not project the facts. The budget is a "big zero" for the farming sector as the NDA government has taken no measures towards providing succour to the agriculture sector, he said.
The budget has nothing to offer to the handloom sector, Rao said. Saying that the budget has left employees and small traders bitter, he said it is unfortunate that the budget did not change the income tax slabs. Both the salaried class and the trading community were looking forward to a change in the IT slabs, the Chief Minister said.
He further claimed that the budget has clearly shown that the Centre has neglected public health and infrastructure. "All over the world, during the coronavirus pandemic, health and infrastructure sectors are being developed. Our Central government did not even think on those lines. And, it is unfortunate," the TRS president said.
"With coronavirus in the backdrop, no efforts were made to develop the medical and health sector in the country. It is surprising that the Centre is not bothered about public health," he added. KCR said the "only way for India to progress is without the BJP in power". "The decision to connect the rivers is a big joke. Who gave the authority to connect Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri?" he said.
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