NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The TMC lashed out at the Centre over the Union Budget on Monday, saying it was 100 per cent “visionless” and its theme was “sell India”.
The remarks came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman read out the Union Budget speech in the Lok Sabha.
“India’s first paperless budget is also a 100% visionless budget. Theme of the fake budget is Sell India!” TMC spokesperson Derek O’Brien said. “Railways: sold, Airports: sold, Ports: sold, Insurance: sold PSUs: 23 sold!”
O’Brien claimed common people and farmers were ignored, adding that the Budget would make the rich richer and the poor poorer, while the middle class got “nothing”.
The Rajya Sabha MP also highlighted statistics to show how West Bengal had developed rural roads.
“Rural roads: 39,705 km rural roads till 2011. 88,841 km rural roads developed between 2011-20,” he said, adding that the state was No. 1 in rural roads.
“What Bengal did yesterday, Centre only talks today: Budget 2021 promise 625 km roads in Bengal. Bengal government (2018-19) New roads of 5111 km, top performer in country. Additional 1165 km constructed in 2019-20,” he said.
Speaking on similar lines, party leader and MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy termed it a “useless budget” that will aggravate the economic crisis instead of resolving issues.
“This budget is a complete hoax. It will not solve the problem of unemployment as it has got no roadmap to increase jobs,” Roy said.
About the proposal to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to 74 per cent, he said it will only help crony capitalists.
“It will help them, not the middle class or those from the lower income groups. They are implementing cess, but the revenues generated from it is not shared with the states,” Roy said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Budget for 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha. (agencies)
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