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Tuesday, Jul 07, 2009
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Anti-farmer and disappointing: Chauhan

Staff Reporter

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has described the Union Budget as anti-farmer and disappointing, adding that it would compound the problems of the common man who is facing the brunt of economic slowdown.

Mr. Chauhan said that the Union Government had not shown any sincere intent to curb rising prices and counter the economic slowdown.

‘Lip service’

He said that the UPA Government did only lip service for the cause of farmers.

This was evident from the imposition of a heavy interest of seven per cent on agricultural loans amounting to over Rs 3 lakh while the Madhya Pradesh Government had cut the loan interest to as low as three per cent from the earlier five per cent, said the Chief Minister.

Mr. Chauhan also said that the employment days under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme should be increased from 100 to 200.

He said that the Union Government had shown insensitiveness to the people of Madhya Pradesh by ignoring the Rs 24,000-crore demanded by the State for undertaking necessary works in drought affected areas.

He also blamed the Centre for not giving any attention to the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Mr. Chauhan criticized the enormous budgetary deficit, while also terming the Budget utterly disappointing from the employment point of view.

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