Patna, Feb 1 The Opposition parties in Bihar on Monday slammed the Union Budget, and said it only focused on selling government entities like airports, warehouses and PSUs.
Even as the ruling BJP and JDU welcomed the Budget, its alliance partner and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president Jitan Ram Manjhi said that privatisation of some of the government entities is not a good option.
In her budget speech on Monday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that multiple companies including BPCL, Neelanchal Ispat Nigam Ltd, Shipping Corporation of India Ltd will go under the disinvestment process in the next financial year.
Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) leader Rajesh Ranjan, better known as Pappu Yadav said that the budget had not addressed the job scarcity among youths of the country.
"The Finance Minister has increased cess on petrol and diesel by 2.5 per cent, despite the fact that crude prices in the international market are at lower levels. Besides, the daily use of domestic items will also become expensive and will increase inflation soon. It is extremely hard to understand how the Centre will bring down GDP to 9 per cent from minus 23.9 per cent with this Budget," Pappu Yadav said.
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said that Sitharaman has not addressed the education, health, agriculture sectors and only focused on selling government entities like airports, warehouses and PSUs.
"The Finance Minister has allocated funds for the poll-bound states West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala but noting was announced for the backward states including Bihar. How can the poll promise of 19 lakh jobs in Bihar be achieved with a Budget like this," Tejashwi said.
P.K. Agrawal, president of the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said: "The Budget has a perspective for the farmers and might benefit common people, but there is nothing for states like Bihar. We are disappointed."
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that everyone will benefit from the Budget.
"The Finance Minister has taken steps in renewable energy, extension of Ujjwala policy, exemption in ITR filing for elderly people, which will benefit people. Despite lower tax collections during Covid pandemic, Sitharaman has presented a controlled Budget," Nitish said.
Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal said that it is another step in the making of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
( With inputs from IANS )
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