Budget a move towards privatisation:NCP;Maha ignored,says Sena

The ruling Shiv Sena onMonday said Maharashtra was ignored in the Union Budget 2021-22 while its ally NCP termed the annual financial plan asdisappointing and a move towards privatisation.On the other hand, senior BJP leader and formerMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed theprovisions made for metro projects for Nashik and Nagpurcities in the Budget.The Budget presented by the Central government isvery disappointing.

The ruling Shiv Sena onMonday said Maharashtra was ignored in the Union Budget 2021-22 while its ally NCP termed the annual financial plan as''disappointing'' and a move towards ''privatisation''.

On the other hand, senior BJP leader and formerMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed theprovisions made for metro projects for Nashik and Nagpurcities in the Budget.

''The Budget presented by the Central government isvery disappointing. It seems a move towards privatisation. Thecommon man has been neglected in this budget. Similarly, noconcrete decision has been made for farmers,'' state HomeMinister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh told reporters inNagpur.

He said the Budget failed to meet expectations of thepeople amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Another NCP leader and state Housing Minister JitendraAwhad tweeted: ''The new budget in simplewords....#India_For_Sale''.

NCP's Maharashtra chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapasesought to know about the revenue figures for the financialyear 2020-21.

He said Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman usedflowery words in her Budget speech to hide the ''real intentionof privatisation''.

Tapase said the Budget didn't provide any specificroadmap to tackle unemployment.

''Defence found no mention even when China hasencroached into our territory. No specific roadmap to tackleunemployment,'' he alleged.

The Central government on Monday budgeted Rs 1.75 lakhcrore from stake sale in public sector companies and financialinstitutions, including two PSU banks and one insurancecompany, in the next fiscal year.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said ''Maharashtra is not seenin this Budget''.

To a question whether some states have received moreallocations considering upcoming polls there, Raut said inthat case, the financial plan cannot be called as a nationalbudget, but that of a political party.

''For the past several years, people like us have beentrying to find Maharashtra in Union budget. But Maharashtra isnot seen in it,'' he told reporters here.

He said Maharashtra, and particularly Mumbai, makes ahuge contribution in terms of revenue for the country, but thestate has always faced injustice.

''Maharashtra feeds stomach of the country. But nobodyis paying attention towards of the stomach of Maharashtra,'' hesaid.

The Sena leader said some funds have been allocated inthe Budget for metro projects in Nashik and Nagpur, ''but whowill talk about the metro car shed project blocked by theCentre in Kanjurmarg (in Mumbai)?'' Asked if funds have been allocated for the Nashik andNagpur metro projects as the BJP is in power in the localgoverning bodies there, Raut said, ''I do not agree with theclaim because the BJP won't be in power there henceforth.

Definitely, not in Nashik, and there will be a big war inNagpur''.

Raut said whether the Budget statistics are true ornot will be known in the next six months.

He asked the government to not make tall claimsthrough numbers.

''The common man understands the language only ofhunger and stomach. The youth understand the language ofemployment. We can appreciate a Budget if it is presented insuch simple language and action is taken on the provisionsmade in it,'' he said.

When asked about the government announcing a cess oncertain items, including petrol and diesel, in the Budget toboost agriculture infrastructure, Raut said, ''petrol price insome parts of the country is already Rs 100 per litre. Thegovernment may even want the rates to soar to Rs 1,000 perlitre''.

Taking a swipe over rising fuel prices, Raut said itseems the government doesn't want people to step outside theirhomes like in lockdown, and wants people to sing bhajans attheir houses.

He said the government has not made any substantialprovisions for farmers in this Budget.

Raut demanded that the government should at leastlisten to the farmers protesting near Singhu border of Delhiagainst the Centre's new farm laws.

''These farm laws are in the interest of four to fivecapitalists. The laws are made for them (the capitalists),'' healleged.

Meanwhile, former CM Fadnavis has welcomed theprovisions of Rs 2,092 crore for Nashik metro and of Rs 5,976crore for the phase-2 of Nagpur metro made in the Budget.

He stated that both the proposals for metro were movedduring the BJP's tenure in Maharashtra.

''In today's #AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget GoI made aprovision of 2092 crore for Nashik Metro. Thank you Hon PM@narendramodi ji , Hon FM @nsitharaman ji! Nagpur MetroPhase-2 too got 5976 crore. Both these proposals were sentduring our tenure of Maharashtra Government,'' Fadnavistweeted.

The BJP was in power in Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019in alliance with the Shiv Sena.