'Atmanirbhar Bharat ka Budget': MP CM; Cong says nothing for farmers

Madhya Pradesh Chief MinisterShivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday hailed the 2021-22 UnionBudget as ''Atmanirbhar Bharat ka Budget'' which would createjob opportunities and fuel growth.

However, state Congress president and former CM KamalNath dubbed the budget as ''highly disappointing'', and said ithas nothing for farmers, who are agitating for over two monthsagainst the Centre's three new farm laws.

Welcoming the budget, Chouhan said the steps taken byUnion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman under the leadershipof Prime Minister Narendra Modi ''to create new employmentopportunities and favourable conditions for business will helpin making Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)''.

''It is Atmanirbhar Bharat Ka Budget,'' he tweeted.

''The Prime Minister has given the Mantra of Reform,Perform and Transform! Providing benefits to each section ofsociety during tough times of COVID-19 and helping a number ofnations around the globe, India has been marching forward onall frontiers,'' the CM further tweeted.

He further said that steps taken under the leadershipof Modi will ''not only benefit in the present, but will alsobenefit us in future''.

However, Kamal Nath in a statement said people facingdifficult times during the pandemic had a lot of expectationsfrom this budget, but it has ''highly disappointed them''.

He said there is nothing for the farmers, who areagitating for over two months for their rights, except falsepromises like age-old doubling cultivators' income,strengthening the mandi system despite provision in the newagriculture laws to abolish them.

''It is an attempt to mislead people again with falsepromises,'' Nath claimed.

Referring to joblessness among youth, especiallybecause of COVID-19, Nath said the budget has nothing foryoung men and women who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

He said the budget includes a number of announcementsmade in the past.

''Those who used to say they will not allow the countryto be sold, have now a new slogan of selling everything, whichis clearly reflected in this budget,'' Nath said, apparentlytaking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress leader also said there is nothing in thebudget for the poor and middle class.

''People were expecting a rebate in the income taxslabs, but it was not raised. They were also expecting areduction in the prices of petrol-diesel and LPG, but theyhave been cheated again,'' he alleged.