Chhattisgarh Budget 2012-13 – Reaction

Raipur, March 17, 2012

CM deceived farmers, poor in budget: Congress

Congress on Saturday said that Chief Minister Raman Singh had deceived farmers and poor in his budget 2012-13 for the state. “The much-vaunted separate agriculture budget has nothing in its kitty for state’s 80% population which depends on farming and dwells in villages as the government has made provision of only 17% of the total budget. On the other hand, 83% of the total budget will be spent on the remaining 20% population. This will increase gap between rich and the poor in state,” said PCC president Nandkumar Patel, CLP leader Ravindra Choubey and PCC general secretary Ramesh Warlyani.

“There is neither free electricity nor Rs 270 bonus for the farmers. Rather, the separate agriculture budget has shown the anti-farmer face of the government,” they said.

“The government has misled people playing with the figures but its Census report speaks the stark reality. The Census report says that fifty percent of the state population is do not have any asset while in last ten years only nine percent population had been benefited by the development,” they said.

Development will pick pace: BJP

The State BJP president Ramsewak Paikra said the budget would expedite development in the state. “This budget is for common people, poor, villagers and farmers. By making provision of 17 percent of the total budget for farmers and poor, Chief Minister Raman Singh has proved that the BJP is really concerned about this category,” he said.

Paikra further said that the government’s decision to provide loans to the farmers at one percent interest rate was a commendable step.

“The CM has also given major sop to the people of Chhattisgarh by announcing Mukhyamantri Swasthya Beema Yojna,” he added.

It is upsetting budget: Mahant

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Unit Charandas Mahant has termed the budget upsetting and said the government gave it shape considering its mission 2013. “You cannot expect long-term outcome from this budget as it is mere illusion,” he said. “The budget will increase prices of daily use commodities. The prices of clothes, sugar and food stuffs will shoot up,” he added.

Govt is boasting on basis of Central schemes: Jogi

Former Chief Minister and senior Congress legislator Ajit Jogi said the government was boasting about development on the basis of Central schemes and it had nothing in its coffer for the people as was clear by its own Census report. “The budget is misleading and the government has only presented impressive but false figures,” he said.

Emphasis on education, health, agriculture: Sharma

The BJP state general secretary Shivratan Sharma said that by emphasising on education, health and agriculture sectors, the government had discharged its social responsibility. “He has made adequate provision for infrastructural development which will open wider avenues of development in the state,” he said.

No relief from heavy taxes: Singhdeo

Congress legislator and vice president TS Singhdeo, general secretaries - Devvrat Singh, Arun Vora, Bhupesh Baghel, spokespersons - Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, Mahendra Chhabda and Sushil Anand Shukla said that the budget had no provision to give relief to the common people from heavy local taxes like that on petroleum products. “The government has also ignored youth in its budget as there is no provision of resources through which employment could be generated for state youth,” they said.