Useless, purposeless budget with no direction: KCR

Hyderabad: Ruling TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday alleged that the NDA government's Union Budget has deeply disappointed various sections of society, including SCs, STs, backward classes, the farming community and the salaried class, and that it is a "useless and purposeless budget".

"The Budget introduced by the BJP-led government at the Centre had no direction or intent and it is a useless and purposeless Budget," he said in a statement.

The entire budget speech by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was hollow and nothing but a jugglery of words, he said.

The NDA government, through the budget, heaped praise on itself, while actually pushing the common man into unhappiness and depression, Rao said.

Describing the budget as a 'golmaal budget', he claimed that it did not project the facts. The budget is a "big zero" for the farming sector as the NDA government has taken no no measures towards providing succour to the agriculture sector, he said.

The budget has nothing to offer to the handloom sector, Rao said.

Saying that the budget has left employees and small traders bitter, he said it is unfortunate that the budget did not change the income tax slabs. Both the salaried class and the trading community were looking forward for a change in the IT slabs, the Chief Minister said.

He further claimed that the budget has clearly shown that the Centre has neglected public health and infrastructure. "All over the world, during the coronavirus pandemic, health and infrastructure sectors are being developed. Our Central government did not even think on those lines. And, it is unfortunate," the TRS president said.

"With coronavirus in the backdrop, no efforts were made to develop the medical and health sector in the country. It is surprising that the Centre is not bothered about public health," he added.

Meanwhile, state BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the budget is revolutionary and reflected the country's future for the next 25 years.

It is courageous that a tax-free budget has been presented in spite of the challenges on the economy front, he said.

The budget has been prepared with a long-term perspective without being influenced by electoral politics, Kumar said.

With Rs 6 lakh crore incentives to the MSME and other sectors, crores of youth would get jobs and employment opportunities, the BJP leader said.