The Pradesh Congress Committee president Pritam Singh termed the interim budget presented by the Centre as directionless and detrimental to development. Expressing his reaction to the budget, the PCC chief said that the budget which shows the obstinacy of the Central Government would fuel price rise and affect economic growth. The finance minister has played with figures to present an electoral budget. “Full of hollow announcements, this interim budget lacks financial management and will increase the burden on the common man while fueling price rise. The provisions in the budget will neither facilitate economic growth rate nor will they increase employment opportunities. Being an election year, the interim budget is full of announcements but there is no mention of where the money for implementing these will come from. No provision has been made to provide relief from the detrimental effects of demonetisation and GST. The future of the youth has also been ignored in the budget. This budget will cause a decrease in employment opportunities. There is nothing in it for the farmers, the poor and the general public,” he opined.
Leader of opposition and former finance minister of Uttarakhand, Indira Hridayesh termed it an electoral budget. She said that ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Centre had presented a budget aimed at appeasement of the public in an attempt to achieve electoral gains. “Political experts are opining that the next government at the Centre will be a coalition government. In such a scenario, one has to think as to how such a budget aimed at appeasement will be passed. The people have realised now. This budget will not provide any electoral gains to the BJP because the business fraternity is still bothered by demonetisation and GST.
The government has tried to misguide the people, who will give a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections,” she averred.