Chandigarh, March 1: Terming the Haryana’s Annual Budget for 2013-14 as disappointing and directionless Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has said that the budget presented by finance minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha has nothing for the common man and it has disappointed all sections of society.
Senior INLD leader and party’s MLA from Ellenabad, Ch Abhey Singh Chautala has said that the people of the state were expecting a lot from the budget but finance minister has disappointed them and he has failed to provide relief to any section of society. The INLD MLA said that proposed budget of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda led government is also reflecting bankruptcy of the state as the government is taking huge debts to pay salaries of its employees and interest of alarming debt amount. Mr Chautala said that government has also ignored the back bone of economy as it has failed to take any step to provide relief to the debt ridden farmers by ensuring remunerative price of their crops. Besides the farmers the budget has also disappointed labourers, traders, employees and women. “it has become habit of the government at the beginning of every fiscal it promise to provide a tax-free budget but by the end of the fiscal it imposes a number hidden and new taxes/levis on the people of the state”, he added. Last year the government patted its back by announcing a tax free budget but soon after the budget session it announced to impose 25 per cent hike in VAT rates. Moreover, it had also imposed house tax, increased bus fare and electricity charges to accumulate Rs 5700 crore from the electricity consumers. He added that a huge gap has been propsed between the proposed and real expenditure this difference can also be seen in Plan Expenditure and Non-Plan Expenditure.
In a similar sentiment INLD’s state president Shri Ashoka Arora has slammed the finance minister for hurting the sentiments and expectations of Aam Aadmi, who is already worried with the spiraling inflation. Finance minister has failed to take any step to check the rising inflation to ensure a relief to the Farmer, Laborure, businessmen, Arora said adding, that the proposed budget has been designed to benefit land mafias and private builders. He said that the present Congress government is fully dependent on the debt and everyday they mortgage government’s property to take new loan.
“it is ironical that the finance minister did not announce any hike in the budget of some key departments, who ensure the basic amenities to the people of the state”, added Shri Ashok Arora.
Former chief parliamentary secretary and INLD’s MLA from Kalayat constituency Mr Rampal Majra also condemned the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government for hiding the bankruptcy of the state behind the false figures. He said that budget is linked with the sentiments of every section of the society but while tabling budget for 2013-14 the finance minister has hurt the sentiments of all sections. He said that the government employees, were expecting that the government will provide them some relief by accepting their long pending demands but the budget has nothing for them. In his budget the Finance minister not only disappointed the employees but he also reflected his anti people mentality. He said that whole budgetary estimates are dependent on the debts which are enough to prove the poor financial condition of the state, where the people are crying even for the basic amenities.