Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 13: Opposition parties, while assailing the annual budget for year 2014-15 termed it directionless and is like building castles in the air.
Reacting over the annual budget presented in the State Assembly by Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather today, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Muzaffar Hussian Baig said the budget is directionless and it has noting for the future.
This budget is nothing but an Afsana. Earlier also, they created dreams but failed to fulfill the same in five years of their rule, he added.
Terming the five years rule of Omar Abdullah led coalition a total failure, Mr Baig said the CAG report has pin pointed their shortcomings. The failures of this Government are hidden in CAG report, he added.
Expressing surprise that how the Government can fulfill the promises made in the budget, he said where from the cash starved State will get money for paying concessions to the people promised in the budget.
This Government failed to do any thing in concrete for the development of the State and welfare of the people and instead of taking the State forward they took it backwards, he added.
BJP Legislative Party, leader Ashok Khajuria while commenting on the budget termed it anti poor and anti common man. This budget was prepared keeping the coming elections in view, he added.
He asked where from the money will come for the new projects mentioned in the budget when the State coffers are dry and it is dependent on the Centre for budgetary support.
Reacting to the budget, the MLA Jammu West Assembly Constituency, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta described the figures given in it totally misleading, imaginary which do not reflect the factual fiscal position of the State.
Commenting on the budget speech of the Finance Minister, A R Rather, Prof Gupta said an effort has been made to present a rosy picture keeping in view the coming elections.
He said much spending depends upon the grants and other receipts from the Centre and this dependence is mounting even after receiving thousands of crores from the Centre. The situation has obviously arisen due to faulty planning and squandering of funds.
NPP leader Harshdev Singh in his comments on budget said there is nothing new in it and it is only the jugglery of the figures. It was a lengthy but hollow budget, he added.
Singh said Government has no policy as how to tackle the unemployment and the number of unemployed youth is mushrooming day by day. The Finance Minister talked about Udaan and other schemes but they have been already rejected by the unemployed youth. Even there is nothing for the employees and they are on protest. The State has suffered a lot of loss due to employees’ strike and meager amount which the State lost due to the strike was needed to meet their demands, he added.
The NPP leader said 65 percent is the tax generation from Jammu region while it gets only 25 percent share in development and nothing has been said in the budget as how to overcome the regional imbalance with Jammu and Ladakh.
In its reaction to the budget, The Awami Mutahida Mahaz (AMM) leaders M Y Tarigami and Hakim Mohammed Yasin said it reflects rosy figures and is devoid of any relief for the common man.
They said this budget has nothing significant to offer and instead has furthered desperation and disappointment for different sections of society be it the unemployed educated youth, people associated with business, agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, causal labourers, daily wagers, ASHAs, contractuals, SPOs, old aged and handicapped, Nambardars and Chowkidars. There is no mention of budgetary provisions for newly created administrative units, they added.
They said the AMM is dismayed over the response to the grave unemployment crisis in the State as the present budget lacks comprehensive plan to address the unemployment crisis. It was expected from the present budget to mitigate the sufferings of the educated youth who are craving for jobs and most of them being at the verge of age bar. Handicrafts sector which is considered as traditional source of employment, is shrinking and the people associated with the business are sure to be dismayed as their aspirations have not been reflected.
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