Budget anti-people, will give rise to inflation: Oppn parties in UP

No announcements to promote the manufacturing sector, there is also no mention of smart cities and no provisions for new expressways in UP, says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

LUCKNOW Opposition parties in UP described the Union Budget as anti-farmer and anti-people, claiming it would give rise to inflation and poverty in the country. They said it was full of announcements and far from the ground reality.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the budget gives impetus to imports to benefit capitalists. (File Photo)

Stating that it did not have provision of welfare schemes, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said: “The budget gives impetus to imports to benefit capitalists. The government made no announcements to promote the manufacturing sector. How will it create employment? There is no mention of smart cities and no provisions for new expressways in UP. There is also no announcement to set up new power plants.”

“The budget talks about promoting ‘one district, one product’ scheme, but the government has no answer on its reality. The finance minister didn’t say anything about GST, which is hurting traders. The government is talking about the medical sector but the existing set-up is in dire straits. In UP, AIIMS (Gorakhpur) is not functioning properly,” he said.

“The budget talks about new ambulances, but when there are no medical facilities what will the ambulances do? Even the Samajwadi ambulance services have been affected badly,” added Yadav. He also questioned why so many farmers were committing suicide.

In a series of tweets, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said once again there had been a flurry of announcements, promises and claims. “But they all became redundant as India’s middle class faces inflation, poverty, unemployment and has been reduced to lower middle class.”

She said, “There is not much of a difference in this year’s budget too. In reality, lives of more than 100 crore people are at stake as it was before.”

“The government’s narrow policies have the biggest side-effects on the lives of crores of poor farmers and other toiling people who are connected to rural India. The government should pay attention to their self-respect so that the common man has enough money and the country progresses,” she added.

Mayawati added, “India is a vast country of about 130 crore where the poor, labourers and farmers are yearning for good times. It is better if the budget is for the country than for the party.”

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Brijlal Khabri said this budget had nothing for the youth, farmers, labourers, women and students. “The Union Budget is far from reality. It’s an electoral budget and there is nothing for farmers as there is no mention of minimum support price for their yields. Railways have been ignored and more than half of the population lives in villages that have got nothing. Changes in the tax slab come as consolation. The budget is quite hollow.”

SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav said employment and business interests had been ignored. “This budget is just an illusion for youth, women, labourers and service class. It is also silent on MSMEs,” he claimed.

However, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said the BJP government had presented a grand budget. “It will fulfil the resolutions of a developed India. Every class has been provided benefits. Those in job, profession or business would benefit. Farmers will also get the expected benefits,” he said.

“This budget is dedicated to poor farmers, people living in rural areas and youth. It reflects the picture of a self-reliant India. This budget will take India on the path of becoming world’s no. 1 economy. It cares for the poor and middle class people,” said UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) termed the Union Budget as “disappointing”, saying it would further increase rate of unemployment and price rise in the country.

“The budget is full of promises, but has nothing to offer to farmers, youth and the middle-class. Overall, it is disappointing,” said Anil Dubey, national spokesman, RLD, in written statement here on Wednesday.

He said the budget also did not explain why the income of farmers did not double despite tall promises nine years ago.

RLD national coordinator Anupam Mishra said the Union Budget had no strategy to deal with unemployment even as it proposed reduction in the allocation for education from 2.64% to 2.5%.