“IT’S A fraud played on the people to gain cheap popularity.” That’s how Leader of the Opposition Lalji Tandon reacted when asked to comment on the State Budget. The mood of the other Opposition parties was no different either.
To support his contention, Tandon said various popular announcements had been made without any fund allocation for the same.
He said almost all employment exchanges were ‘defunct’ for long and they had failed to provide jobs to the unemployed. Therefore, Tandon added, it was not possible to know the exact number of the unemployed. “Moreover, the Rs 500 unemployment allowance will remain a non-starter as the government has not made any fund allocation for it,” the BJP veteran added.
He regretted that the scheme, to give 10 kg of foodgrain free of cost to destitutes and those living below poverty line at the rate of Rs 2 per kilogram, had been dropped. He said the Budget was nothing but fudging of figures and actual deficit was to the tune of Rs 4500 crores.
Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari almost echoed Tandon and said the Budget had no plans for irrigation, land reforms and the power sector. He termed the unemployment allowance scheme a cruel joke on the unemployed. He contested the CM on the number of unemployed in UP and said there was no budgetary provision to pay the unemployment allowance.
{{/usCountry}}Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari almost echoed Tandon and said the Budget had no plans for irrigation, land reforms and the power sector. He termed the unemployment allowance scheme a cruel joke on the unemployed. He contested the CM on the number of unemployed in UP and said there was no budgetary provision to pay the unemployment allowance.
{{/usCountry}}BSP Legislature Party leader described it as a “Saifai and Etawah Budget”. “Uttar Pradesh is nowhere in the picture,” Maurya said. He said for the CM, Uttar Pradesh begins and ends with Saifai and Etawah. He described Chief Minister’s sops impractical and intended to fool the people. He said the Budget had nothing for Dalits, Backwards, minorities, farmers and students.
Rashtriya Janata Dal general secretary Brajendra Kumar Singh said the Budget was anti-farmer and anti-poor and the Chief Minister had befooled the unemployed by announcing an allowance without making any provision for the same.
AICC member and former MLA DP Bora said the Chief Minister’s attempt to fool the people would not succeed. Congress leader Jagdambika Pal said the Budget would increase regional imbalance. UPCC chief spokesman Akhilesh Singh also termed the Budget anti-people.