Gujarat CM gives 8/10 marks to Budget; Congress terms it 'unimpressive'

Gandhinagar, Mar 1: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel termed the Union Budget "pro-people" and gave it '8 on 10' while opposition Congress claimed it would only increase the hardships of the common man and showed that the NDA government lacked a visionary economist.

The Chief Minister said the Budget will boost the Indian economy as it has taken care of various factors affecting agriculture, employment, rural development and infrastructure.

She especially expressed happiness over allocation of Rs 35,984 crore to the agriculture sector. She also hailed the allocation of Rs 87,000 crore for rural development and Rs 850 crore for the development of the dairy sector.

"I would give eight out of 10 marks to this budget," Patel told reporters here.

However, senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela dismissed the budget proposals, saying the NDA government lacks vision in the absence of a learned economist in the Cabinet.

"This budget is nothing but a jugglery of words... totally direction-less. It will only increase inflation and break the back of the common man. This unimpressive budget shows that the NDA government does not have a visionary and expert economist in its Cabinet," said the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.

"The Finance Minister once promised that he will raise the income tax slab to Rs 5 lakh. Forget the limit, they can't even take it to Rs 3 lakh. I will give only two out of ten marks to this budget," said Vaghela, a former Chief Minister of Gujarat.

PTI