The recent State budget was for the poor and the government’s welfare schemes coupled with the cash assistance would help the party (AIADMK) emerge victorious in all the elections to be held this year, said O. Panneerselvam, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister.
In his reply to the debate on the discussions on the budget, he said the State’s financial resources were limited and priority should be for spending on the poor. The welfare schemes conceived by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa targeted everyone, especially the poor, students and women, he added.
In line with her policies, this government granted ₹1,000 as Pongal gift to all ration cardholders. Later, it promised ₹2,000 for every family under below poverty linee said. People now think that they got everything only during Amma’s rule and nothing during any other rule. The government’s welfare schemes were being replicated not just by other States in the country but also by other countries, he claimed.
“The Opposition may curse. We only wish good for everyone. We are sowing good, we will reap good only,” he said, emphasising that they would harvest victories with peoples’ support, irrespective of the Opposition’s alliance.
The AIADMK was giving good governance and would emerge victorious in the the Lok Sabha polls, the byelections to the Assembly constituencies and the elections to local bodies thereafter, he said.
Revenue deficit
Defending the budget, he said the government had not reduced allocation to any scheme despite promising many new announcements this year. Also, the revenue deficit was reduced to ₹ 14,314 crore from the estimated ₹ 19,319 crore. The State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) was carefully projected to grow at 13.25%, he said.
Emphasising that the government had cut down on borrowings towards maintaining a fiscal balance, he said efforts were on to gradually reduce the revenue deficit.
Contrary to the Opposition leader’s statement that it was a useless budget, Mr. Panneerselvam said it was a very useful budget for the people.
