New Delhi: The Congress on Monday criticised the Modi-led NDA government for giving a sizeable chunk of the infra-Budget to the election-bound states of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and termed the Budget as "road for vote" and full of election "jumlas".
Congress Assam chief Ripun Bora said:
"So, the BJP government has made the Parliament a place to launch election manifestos for the Assembly elections. This Budget is nothing more than an election manifesto full of jumlas".
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed construction of 8,500 kilometre highway by March 2022. With focus on the Assembly poll-bound states, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam get a major chunk of the proposed new highway projects.
Assembly election in these states along with Puducherry will be held later this year.
In Assam, where the BJP is seeking a second consecutive term, Sitharaman proposed 1,300 km highways that will be constructed in the next three years.
Another Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in his reactions said:
"This BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, 'I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder'."
In West Bengal, where the BJP is fighting a high octane battle to dislodge Mamata Banerjee's government, the Finance Minister proposed 675 km of the national highway project at a cost of Rs 95,000 crore.
Commenting on the Budget proposals, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of Congress said:
"The Budget is towards the path of privatisation and road for vote."
The Congress party leader in the Lok Sabha further said:
"The government has not given anything to accelerate growth and at the time of unprecedented times. It is a simple Budget, the Congress expected cash transfer but the country is on sale."
The government focus on the election going states have got applause from the party but the opposition parties have criticised this.
Commenting on Sitharaman's Budget speech, Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien tweeted:
"India's first paperless budget is also a 100 percent visionless budget. Theme of the fake budget is Sell India! Railways:sold Airports: sold Ports: sold Insurance: sold PSUs: 23 sold! Common people ignored. Farmers ignored. Rich get richer, nothing for middle class, poor get poorer."
In her reaction on the Budget, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati raised doubts on the Centre's efforts to control growing unemployment and inflation. She said the Budget will be evaluated on these terms and the poor and farmers were fed up with the hollow promises and false claims.
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