Proceedings of the West Bengal Assembly during the State Budget Session, in Kolkata on Wednesday. BISWAJIT GHOSHAL
Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition, described the state budget, announced today, as a perfect example of the state government’s financial bankruptcy with hardly any effort to address unemployment, which is raging.
He also took potshots at the government on the announcement of 3 per cent DA hike, which he said was announced after a nudge from the chief minister without having made any provisions in the original budgetary proposals.
Taking a swipe at the budget announced by the state finance minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Adhikari told newspersons that the budget has hardly any vision and failed miserably to address the people’s daily needs.
The Leader of Opposition complained that the budget was an attempt to be a populist one, keeping an eye on the upcoming panchayat election but was devoid of any realistic vision to bring forth any infrastructural development.
He also came down heavily on the ruling dispensation for the raging corruption in education, PMAY scheme and diversion of funds from the mid-day meal schemes.
He also raised questions on the state government’s flagship programmes, especially the Swasthya Sathi scheme, which he said had provisions mentioned there in was lacking to fulfil aspirations of the common people.
Ashok Lahiri, the BJP MLA and an eminent economist dubbed the budget as mere declarations and an act of gimmickry