Chennai: Opposition leaders on Thursday criticised the state budget presented by finance minister D. Jayakumar and expressed concern over the growing debt burden and fiscal deficit, besides faulting it for lack of relief for farmers affected by severe drought.
Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin described the budget as ‘a old wine in a new bottle’ and said only the debt burden of the state government is going up every year. There are no new schemes and the loans of farmers suffering in drought had not been waived. No plans for new power projects had been announced and no funds had been allocated for the schemes announced.
Expressing similar views, TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar said the funds allotted to face drinking water scarcity, drought relief and highways is not sufficient. The funds for allocated for various schemes should be fully utilised for them without corruption, he stressed.
Citing the claim of finance minister D. Jayakumar that no new taxes had been levied, PMK founder S. Ramadoss said the government had increased VAT for petrol and diesel, besides hiking the bus fares indirectly, even before the budget. The allocation for school education and health is not sufficient, he added.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, was the lone leader to find good announcements in the budget as he said there were enough schemes to boost the economic growth to nine per cent. He welcomed the high outlay for water resources, agriculture, infrastructure development and drinking water problems. However, he too expressed concern over the growing fiscal deficit and debt burden.
The financial situation in the state is attributed to the state government’s wrong policies, bad fiscal management and the neo-liberal economic policies of the Centre, said CPM state secretary G. Ramakrishnan. The allocation of Rs 2,192 crore for transport is not sufficient and there are no schemes to generate employment.
CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan said the budget speech had not exerted pressure on the centre which is acting against Tamil Nadu in the formation of Cauvery Management Board and refusing to allocate funds for drought relief and cyclone Vardha relief. The government had not come out with drought relief for the farmers and agricultural labourers affected due to the drought situation in the state, he added.
DMK protests Jayakumar thanking Sasikala
Mention of AIADMK general secretary V. K. Sasikala and deputy general secretary T. T. V. Dhinakaran by finance minister D. Jayakumar while presenting the budget on Thursday triggered a verbal duel between the ruling party and principal Opposition DMK.
As Jayakumar thanked Sasikala and Dinakaran for giving him the opportunity to present the Budget, Opposition leader M. K. Stalin was on his feet seeking to know how the name of a convict could be evoked on the floor of the House and demanded that Speaker expunge those remarks.
Countering him, leader of the House and school education minister K. A. Sengottaiyan said it was the usual practise for ministers and MLAs to greet, laud and thank their party leader while speaking in the Assembly.
“There was nothing wrong in Jayakumar taking the name of Sasikala,” he said. However, Stalin refused to subscribe to Mr Sengottaiyan’s explanation and stuck to his contention that how the name of a person convicted in a corruption case by the highest court of the country could be taken in the House.
At this juncture, Speaker P. Dhanapal refused to accept Stalin’s demand to expunge the remarks made by Jayakumar and asked him to continue his speech.
Prior to presenting the budget, Jayakumar paid respects at the memorial of late Jayalalithaa at the Marina Beach here, placing the suitcase containing the budget papers at the site.
Meanwhile, AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to Sasikala welcomed Chief Minister Palanisami by thumping of the desks when he entered the House. He had won a floor test on February 18.
Assembly to be in session till March 24
Budget session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly that began on Thursday with the presentation of the budget will have five more sittings from Monday.
The business advisory committee of the Tamil Nadu Assembly that met after finance minister D. Jayakumar presented the Budget for 2017-2018 decided to have sittings from March 20 to March 24.While the discussion on budget would be conducted from Monday to Wednesday, the government will move bills that needed to be cleared to ensure that the budget exercise is completed on Thursday. The reply on budget will be given on Friday.
The budget session is usually a month-long affair but the government decided to cut short since R K Nagar constituency is going to polls on April 12.
It is understood that another session would be called in mid-April to pass demand for grants for various departments and ministries.
