Budget disappointing, directionless, useless: Telangana CM

Hyderabad, Feb (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday termed the Union Budget as highly disappointing, directionless, useless and purposeless.

Reacting to the Budget presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he said that the Budget is utter disappointment for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, minorities, farmers, common man, poor, artisans and employees.

KCR, who is also president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said the Budget lacked direction and intent. He said the speech of the Finance Minister was full of hollowness and a jugglery of words.

The central government through the Budget has heaped praises on itself while putting the common man to depression and unhappiness, the chief minister said.

Calling it a 'Golmaal Budget', the TRS leader said it did not project the facts. The measures taken by the Centre in the Budget for the welfare of the farm sector is nil. He termed the Budget a big zero for farmers and the agriculture sector of the country.

"The Budget has nothing to offer to the handloom sector. The Budget left bitterness among the employees and the small traders. It is unfortunate that the Budget did not change the income tax slabs," the Chief Minister. Stating that both the employees and trading community were anxiously looking forward for the change in the income tax slabs, he said the Centre belied all their hopes.

"The Budget has clearly shown that the Centre had neglected the public health, basic infrastructure sectors. All over the world during the corona pandemic, health and infrastructure sectors are being developed, our central government did not even think on those lines. It is unfortunate. With corona in the backdrop, no efforts were put to develop the medical and health sector in the country. It is surprising that the Centre is not bothered about public health," the CM said.