It’s directionless, hopeless, anti-people: Oppn

There is nothing new in the budget as the plans have just been reworded and presented afresh. It will ruin the state as well as the next generation. BHUPINDER S HOODA, Cong leader

Even though the government has attempted to paint a good fiscal scenario, there is little scope for the same in reality. ABHAY CHAUTALA, INLD MLA

CHANDIGARH: Leader of Opposition in the Haryana assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday called the budget directionless and said the government failed to take even a single step towards fulfilling any of its poll promises.

The former chief minister said that the state debt, which was about ₹61,000 crore in 2013-2014, had now reached about ₹2 lakh crore, which would “ruin the state and the next generation”.

“There was nothing new in the budget as the plans were just reworded and presented afresh. How can they talk about improving education when posts of 40,000 teachers are lying vacant and schools are being shut?” he questioned. Describing it an attack on common man, Congress leader and AICC communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a Tweet said, “Manohar Lal Khattar presented a hopeless, anti-people, debt ridden and zero performance budget.” The former Congress MLA from Kaithal tweeted, “State Debt increased by 280% in 5 years ie 2014-15 to 2020-21. It was ₹70,931 Cr in 48 years of State formation & has gone up to ₹1,98,700 Cr (sic).”

‘JUGGLERY OF NUMBERS’

INLD MLA Abhay Chautala also flayed the budget and said it was “just jugglery of numbers”.

“Even though the government has attempted to paint a good fiscal scenario, there is little scope for the same in the reality. The tax revenue estimates for 2019-2010 was about ₹62,000 crore, though the collection was ₹54,900 crore which was ₹7,400 crore less. The future of better collection seems bleak. Also, the government’s claims of improving the services in education, health and security appear to be a farce,” he added.

Independent MLA from

Meham, Balraj Kundu, also reacted sharply on the budget.

“The gravest problem confronting the state is the dearth of drinking water, which I had highlighted in the pre-budget discussions with the CM. Also, neither there is anything for employment generation nor for increasing the old-age pension to ₹5,100,” he claimed.