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

The ruling Shiv Sena onMonday said Maharashtra was ignored in the Union Budget whileits allies NCP and Congress termed the annual financial planas disappointing amidst the coronavirus pandemic and a movetowards 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.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Finance Minister AjitPawar said, ''At a time when country's scientists gave life tothe people by inventing COVID-19 vaccine, the Union budget hasonce again put the public on the path of death''.

State Home Minister and senior NCP leader AnilDeshmukh said the Budget presented by the Central governmentwas very disappointing.

''It seems like a move towards privatisation. Thecommon man has been neglected in this budget. Similarly, noconcrete decision has been made for farmers,'' he toldreporters in Nagpur.

Deshmukh said the Budget failed to meet expectationsof the people 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 Tapasesaid Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman used flowerywords in her Budget speech to hide the ''real intentionof privatisation''.

''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.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar said the Budget has left theprotesting farmers as well as youth, who lost their jobsduring the lockdown, disappointed.

He said injustice was meted out to Maharashtra, whichcontributes the highest revenue to the country's coffers.

He said MPs from all parties from Maharashtra shouldmeet the Union finance minister to ensure justice for thestate.

Ajit Pawar said tribals, minorities and backwardcommunities were also ignored in the Budget, ''which makes nosubstantial provisions for schemes meant for women, while themiddle class too is angry as there is no change in the incometax slabs''.

He said while the Union finance minister announced Rs25,000 crore for West Bengal, but it is not certain whetherthe poll-bound state will get it.

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''.

He said the common man understands the language onlyof hunger and stomach.

''The youth understand the language of employment. Wecan appreciate a Budget if it is presented in such simplelanguage and action is taken on the provisions made in it,'' hesaid.

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''.

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

''The three new farm laws are in the interest of fourto five capitalists. The laws are made for them (thecapitalists),'' he alleged.

Former CM Fadnavis has welcomed the provisions of Rs2,092 crore for Nashik metro and of Rs 5,976 crore for thephase-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.

Senior Congress leader and minister Ashok Chavan saidthe Budget was disappointing for the middle class whichexpected more after the downturn caused by the coronavirusoutbreak and lockdown.

The state PWD minister said in Aurangabad that theBudget aims to exploit the common man, farmers, workers,traders and industry.

''There is no change in income tax slabs which has ledto disgruntlement among the country's middle class, and a merehike of Rs 3,000 crore in agriculture allocation was notenough,'' Chavan said.

He said the Budget was silent about the Mahatma GandhiNational Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), and theservice sector, which is among the highest employmentgenerators, didn't get any relief.

AIMIM MP from Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel, said thatMumbai was ignored in the Budget.

''There was no mention of the financial capital in thespeech made by Sitharaman. The expectations from thegovernment in this year's Budget were huge considering lossesin every sector because of the coronavirus pandemic. Howeverwhat have been delivered is just promises,'' he said in astatement.

Jaleel said it was ''unfortunate'' that the governmenttakes decision only for poll-bound states.

''The government is bent upon selling everything toprivate players of their choice which reflects in thedisinvestment decision. There is no mention of how thegovernment intends to generate employment for youngsters,'' hesaid. PTI ENM CLS AW BNMNSK NSK