While Union minister K H Muniyappa called it a historic budget, opposition BJP’s Ananth Kumar dubbed it as anti-common man, communal and inflationary.

Muniyappa stated in a press release that the Finance Minister has presented an inspiring budget and unfolded a budget that was pro-farmer. “Faced with a situation where farmers in almost all parts of the country were committing suicide, the UPA government has sought to provide succour by waiving their debts. This would definitely provide a new lease of life to them,” he said. The minister commended the Government for launching the Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Food Security Mission, increase in allocation for national highway development project, increase in remuneration of anganwadi workers etc.

IT exemptions

Ananth Kumar said the budget failed to address the burning issue of price-rise which was affecting crores of people throughout the rule of the UPA. It should have raised the income tax limits by more than what it has done now, he said.

Demanding that the government should have reviewed the status of Below Poverty Line families, he said no concern has been shown for the improvement of PDS system which affects crores of people. Kumar, who is chairman of Parliamentary standing committee on finance, said the “communal budgeting” was strongly condemnable. He added that the allocation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes have gone up only marginally.

“The Finance Minister grandly announced the waiver of farmers’ loans but failed to show where he has the resources to do so,” he said. BJP MP Prahlad Joshi said the budget was directionless but expressed relief over loan waiver of farmers.  “While four crore farmers, as mentioned by the Finance Minister, would get benefit, other 21 crore farmers would remain outside the scheme and its benefits,” he said.