Union Budget boon to all sections: AP FM

Hyderabad, Mar 1 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosaiah today maintained that the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram was a ''boon'' to all sections of people, including peasants''.

Talking to newspersons here, he lauded the Centre for announcing interest waiver and one-time settlement for farmers and said this would be a great relief to farmers, many of whom were forced to commit suicide due to mounting debts and unremunerative price for their produce.

Mr Chidambaram raising the personal income tax exemption limit to Rs 1,50,000 for general assessees and for women to Rs 1,80,000 would benefit various sections of people, including Government employees, small businessmen and middle class people, he added.

Telugu Desam Party(TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu had become a ''laughing stock'' by claiming that it was because of his stir, the Centre had provided relief to peasants.

Mr Naidu, who claimed credit for the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, recommending Rs 1000 per quintal as Minimum Support Price(MSP) for Paddy, was now apportioning the blame on Rajasekhara Reddy Government for the Centre not deciding on it.

Referring to the opposition claim that the concessions announced were made with an eye on the next Lok Sabha elections, he asked whether it was wrong to provide relief to the people.

UNI SM KVV 1915