BJP dubs Himachal Pradesh budget as "disappointing"

Shimla, Mar 9: The leader of the opposition in Himachal Vidhan Sabha, PK Dhumal on Tuesday described the state budget for 2016-17 as "disappointing".

Reacting to the budget, senior BJP leader Dhumal said that there was nothing to cheer as no effective policies have been announced to address the problems of various sectors.

He said that it was astonishing that the Economic survey had put the number of registered unemployed persons at about 8-lakh against 10-lakh in the previous years and asked that how the number had gone down when the figures of employment generation are meager.

Nothing had been said about saving the farmers from monkey and wild animals menace, causing massive damage to crops.

He said that the government had not been able to provide free uniforms to students on regular basis, no new schemes had been started and the schemes of Union government are being renamed after the chief minister (Mukhyamantri) and the government had not even shown the courtesy to central government for funding the centrally sponsored schemes in the ratio of 90:10 (Centre and state).

He said that higher allocation had been made for education sector but there was no mention of increase in budgetary support for three state run Universities, facing financial crunch.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress committee hailed the budget presented by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as "growth oriented" aimed at all round development of all sections of the society.

Himachal has emerged a role model on development front and the state has registered 7. 2 per cent growth rate which was higher than the growth at national level, pegged at 68 per cent, it said.

HPCC Media Department Chairman Naresh Chauhan said that the state budget has made adequate allocations for rural, agriculture and horticulture which would increase income of farming community, besides generating employment opportunities in these areas.

PTI