Opposition flays Budget for neglecting farm sector

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The Opposition today flayed the General Budget for 2007-08 for its ''neglect'' of the farm sector and various sops to the corporate sector.

Mr Mitrasen Yadav (BSP) said the budget has just ''ignored'' the concerns of the agricultural setor which toils hard to feed the nation. No provisions were made for the welfare of farmers while there had been a string of incentives announced for the industrial sector.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh (JD-U) said contrary to the general belief that this was a ''general'' budget, ''It is, in fact, a Corporate budget for the benefit of a microscopic section of the society.'' He said the Finance Minister started his budget speech with economic growth and higher growth rate and he finished his speech with similar words and in between he made several references to several figures and data like the Sensex and industrial growth rate, GDP and so on and so forth, which were of little interest to the masses.

He said the general public was neither interested in such hyperbolic terms nor were they keen to know about these matters.

''What they are interested is whether the budget will help better their present economic status,'' he added.

The JD(U) MP said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in its recent report on India has said that the high growth of the Indian economy has no place for its jobless.

He said the much publicised Centre's package for the farmers of Maharashtra was nothing but a ''farce'', as the state government in its affidavit before the Supreme Court has said that the package has provided just Rs 50 lakhs for the welfare of the affected farmers of the Vidharba region.

Smt Ranjit Ranjan (LJP) urged the Government to undertake a study on the state of the Koshi river, which was highly polluted with Arsenic. ''The government should devise ways on how to make the water of the river potable,'' she said.

She also stressed the need for investment in the jute and banana sector which would further the cause of a large number of people.

Mohammad Salim (CPI-M) said the budget comprises of two parts -- first the political agenda of the government and the second reflecting the government's will towards fulfilling its pledges.

While the political agenda went well, it was weak on the resolve to fulfill the promises.

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