Finance Minister's good intentions are not reflected in his budget: Jayalalithaa

Reacting to Union Budget, AIADMK General Secreatary and Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that the Finance Minister Pranab Kumar Mukharjee had announced attractive things to lower and middle class in his budget speech yet this has not reflected in the budget.

Petrol and Diesel price hike will increase the prices of essential commodities and the burden will fall on the common people, Jayalalithaa said

Jayalalithaa appreciated the finance minister's announcement on Income-Tax and said that the new pattern of levying IT will be welcomed by salaried people. Jayalalithaa also thanked the minister for granting 200 crores for the benefit of Tiruppur Hosery Industries.

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-Leader S Ramadoss expressed disappointment over the Union Budget, stating it had no measures to contain price rise.

Reacting to the Budget proposals, he said ''one could understand as how the Budget proposals are from the fact that the entire Opposition staged a walkout during the presentation.'' It was always stated that Mr Mukherjee was a friend of capitalists and industrialists and never bothered about the poor and downtrodden and he has proved it correct today, the PMK leader claimed.

While announcing concessions in direct taxes, ''which benefited the rich and industrialists, the Finance Minister has hiked indirect taxes which would hit the downtrodden,'' Dr Ramadoss said. The decision to mobilize Rs 25,000 crore by disinvesting in public sector undertakings amounted to killing goose which laid golden eggs.

The decision to hike the import duty on gold and silver would badly affect the middle class people, he claimed.

However, the enhancement of farm loans and extension of waiver of farm loan scheme till the middle of this year and subsidy on the interest rate on farm loans deserved to be welcomed, he said.

There was nothing in the Budget to contain the rise in prices resulting in high rate of inflation and stop the fall in agriculture production. It was disappointing that excise on petrol and diesel had been hiked, which would further lead to hike in prices of essentials, Ramadoss added.

Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) General secretary Vaiko said the budget had no proposals to contain the rise in prices of essentials. Reacting to the proposals, he said the decision to levy excise on petrol and diesel would only further lead to rise in prices.

Further Vaiko said there was no incentive schemes to step up farm production and the decision to throw open the retail markets to multinationals, would badly hit the local retailers.

Vaiko said the allocation for Education and Public Health was not sufficient.

Except few schemes like welfare schemes for workers of unorganized sector, smart card for National Rural Employment workers and incentives for non-conventional energy sector and Food Protection Act, there was nothing in the budget to meet the expectations of the people, he said.

- Asian Tribune -