The Indian Institute of Management-Visakhapatnam, one of the all-India educational institutions to be set up in Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the State was allocated Rs. 50 crore in the General Budget 2015 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on Saturday. This apart, there is a general feeling that AP has not received its due from the Centre under the AP State Reorganisation Act and the left parties also slammed it as pro-corporate budget.
TDP leaders were also disappointed as their comments indicated, he said.
The Congress leader said the situation was due to the ruling party and the main Opposition party YSR Congress failing to put pressure on the Centre. The YSRC was following double standards and it would not criticise the BJP, he added.
Former Minister and president of District Congress Committee P. Balaraju said the budget was meant for the corporate world and industrialists and not for the common man or farmer. This is the beginning of the process of opening up everything to the private sector. What was allotted to A.P. was a pittance, he added.
The budget proved that development was only a slogan of the government since there was no action was initiated, CPI(M) State secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao said.
There was no raise in allocations for health, education and employment guarantee programme or for basic amenities while skill development was ignored.
This government was raking in more through excise duty on diesel and petrol than the previous government, only to fund the corporate sector, he said.
Hopes of the common man and the middle class sections were once again belied and Prime Minster Narendra Modi once again revealed his pro-corporate stand, though he could impress the people with his speeches and publicity that he was for the common man, CPI State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy said.
GDP might go up with Modi’s measures but the wealth would not be properly distributed all over the country, he added.
BJP’s city president P.V. Narayana Rao said the budget was the first step towards country’s prosperity. It was after a long time that Centre announced share for the States to ensure development of every part of the country.
Senior trade union leader Ch. Gandhi said the budget was disappointing.
There was no relief for even the lower category employees as Income Tax slab was not raised. There was no mention of Seventh Pay Review Commission. Polavaram project would remain a dream for the next generations also, going by the allotment made to the project, he said.
The budget focussed on the corporate sector and disappointed working class, BMS leader Bhavani Shankarudu said. The trade union would continue to oppose the anti-labour policies of the government, he said.
