Karunanidhi hails Union Budget

Chennai, Feb 29 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said the Union Budget for 2008-09 would be welcomed by all sections of society, especially farmers, who were given a bonanza-Rs 60,000 crore Agricultural Debt Relief Package.

Mr Karunanidhi, whose DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, congratulated UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who were responsible for presenting the budget to benefit all sections of the society.

Reacting to the proposals, he said the Centre has announced a bonanza for farmers in the country by waiving off their loans to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore, which deserved to be hailed and commended.

Mr Karunanidhi said he was satisfied that his letter to Ms Gandhi, requesting to waive farm loans to benefit farmers in the country on the lines of Tamil Nadu, which had waived loans to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore, would have influenced the Centre to help the farmers.

As far as Tamil Nadu was concerned, the Chief Minister congratulated the Centre for allocating Rs 300 crore for desalination project in the city, Rs 70 crore for the powerloom industry at Erode, and making enhanced allocation for education, health, agriculture, roads and drinking water.

The Centre also deserved to be congratulated for providing Income Tax relief to middle income group and government employees and making higher allocation for the benefit of scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, minorities, women, children and senior citizens, he said.

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