No relief to commoners in budget: Naveen

Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram has not provided any relief to the common man.

Describing the budget as 'more disappointing,' Mr Patnaik told mediapersons here that the rising inflation will affect the livelihood of the common man directly as no definite and concrete measures to contain the inflationary measures had been outlined in the budget.

On the agriculture front, the Chief Minister said adequate outlay has not been provided for investment on agricultural infrastructure or support to the agriculture marketing.

The Chief Minister came down heavily on the Centre for not releasing funds to the underdeveloped KBK region of the state.

The Orissa government, he said, has sought an additional assistance of Rs500 crores per annum for the development of the region, but it is '' disappointing to note that the union budget has envisaged only the continuance of the existing fund'' for the KBK region.

Mr Patnaik said the budget proposed to impose levy on export duty of iron ore and chrome adding that proceeds of such levy should be transferred to the state in full.

The loss of revenue on account of reduction of Central Sales Tax (CST) from four per cent to three per cent should be fully compensated by the Centre to the state, the Chief Minister added.

UNI