Only old schemes repeated, renamed in Himachal Budget, says Agnihotri

Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 6

Terming the Budget as visionless and directionless, Leaders of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said the fiscal deficit had mounted to Rs 7,272 crore and the government was silent on how the gap between revenue receipts and expenditure would be filled.

A deliberate attempt had been made to hide the amount of loan taken by the government from the general public. Old agendas of government projects under foreign funding as well as development projects failed to find mention in the Budget, he alleged.

He said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had made an unsuccessful attempt to replicate the Kejriwal model and old schemes had been repeated and renamed in the budget.

Three-fourth of the state had been ignored. The condition of roads was poor, but there had been no increase for the PWD. Moreover, there was no mention of preparedness for dealing with novel coronavirus, said Agnihotri.

“The Budget reflects that double engine has failed and the state government is unable to get funds for the construction of the Mandi airport,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore dubbed the Budget as disappointing. “I feel that the Budget will not help in pulling the state out of economic slowdown,” said Virbhadra.

“It is mere jugglery of figures which provides no relief to any section of society. The Budget is directionless and only formality as there is no proposal to increase revenue. Farmers and employees have been completely ignored,” said Rathore.