It is an empty budget, says Jayalalithaa

Opposition parties on Saturday slammed the interim budget of the DMK saying it had no constructive measures for development of the State.

“It is an empty budget, lacking the direction for development,” AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa said in a statement.

She also questioned the need to have question hour on the day of budget presentation against tradition and the decision of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC).

“Question hour was introduced to avoid presentation of budget during Raaghu Kaalam,” she said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said it was unfortunate that instead of announcing measures to control hike in prices of essential commodities, the government had only listed reasons for such a situation.

“It is really painful to note that there was no announcement in the budget to prevent conversion of agriculture land into housing plots,” she said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said if the government was really interested in providing concrete houses to the poor it should have borne the entire expenses.

CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan said the interim budget reflected the liberalisation policy of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. “It has severely affected farmers and people in rural areas are giving up agriculture,” he said. Power cut had put a question mark on the future of small and medium industries.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said though the government had spent substantial amount on modernising the police, it had not resulted in improving law and order situation in the State. “There is no effort to implement common syllabus and rein in private educational institution that are exploiting the students,” he said.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko disputed the claim of Finance Minster K. Anbazhagan that there was an increase in production of cereals and vegetables in the State.

“People know how the prices of these items have increased. The DMK government is not ready to question the increase in the price of petroleum products. Online trading has led to price hike,” he said.

Mr. Vaiko said the State government should take responsibility for its failure to resolve the inter-State water disputes.