"Food for pets is cheaper but costlier for human beings' : BJP

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) BJP today said it was ironic that Finance Minister P Chidambaram had made the pet food meant for cats and dogs cheaper but costly for human beings in the 2007-08 Budget.

BJP Spokesmen Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Sushma Swaraj said the government had disappointed the tax payers particularly women and senior citizens in terms of tax benefits by offering a nominal increase in the taxable income by Rs 10,000 while the expectation was much more.

Mr Malhotra said hotel industry was getting a free run in the budget while there was nothing to contain the prices and inflation afflicting all sections of society especially the common man,he said.

Mrs Swaraj said Mr Chidambaram throughout his speech was constituting committees in the budget and wondered what the minister was doing during the rest of the year.

Both Mrs Swaraj and BJP General Secretary Ananth Kumar felt that the UPA and Finance Minister had squandered an opportunity to help the farmers and the common people.

Shiv Sena leaders Manohar Joshi and Anant Geete said the budget was most disappointing for common man and farmers. The FM has not even take note of the ongoing farmers suicides in the states as he has no plans to prevent the deaths. Though there was a mention about Mumbai being developed as a world class financial centre, but the budget was silent on allocations. Such announcements were made in the past and this announcement should not follow the same course, they said.

UNI