Ruling LDF, opposition parties slam union budget

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1 (PTI)Kerala Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the ''pro corporate'' unionbudget had ''disappointed'' people of the country and it onlyreiterated the Centre's stand to open the agricultural sectorto them,while opposition parties said it has cheated citizens.

The budget showed that all the mediation talks with thefarmers were just an ''eyewash'' and the Centre did not intendto withdraw the three contentious laws against which farmersare on an agitation for over two months in Delhi borders, hesaid in a statement.

''This amounts to challenging the people of the country.

The budget reiterates the stand of the central government,opening the agricultural sector to the corporates''.

The CM said that the union government, through thisbudget, had decided to divest more Public Sector Undertakingsin the country and invite Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

By withdrawing from variousfields, including theinsurance sector, the government's attempt is to push thecountry into the hands of the corporates,he alleged.

On the Centre's proposal in the budget to set up aDevelopment Financial Institution for basic infrastructuredevelopment, which is likely to receive investment from theprivate sector as well, Vijayan saidthose who opposed theKerala Industrial Infrastructure Fund Board (KIIFB) asunconstitutional were now following the state's model.

Describing as an ''election gimmick'' the budgetaryallocation of Rs 65,000 crore for development of Highways inKerala, Finance minister Thomas Isaac said it had beenannounced earlier.

Opposition leader in the state assembly RameshChennithala, said the budget had ''cheated'' the people.

Except the second phase development of Kochi Metroproject and development of Kochi Fishing Harbour, there wasnothing new for the state, he said.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said everyone hadexpected some relief in the budget from skyrocketing petroland diesel prices, but that was not to be.

Free COVID-19 vaccine was also expected from thegovernment, but had not come about, he said.