Pondy CM dubs union budget as 'poll-oriented'

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Saturday termed the union budget 2019-20 as "poll-oriented" and a "gimmick". Talking to reporters here, he said, "an interim budget has been presented by an interim Finance Minister (Piyush Goyal) and all the sops announced in the budget are poll oriented and a gimmick." As the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister have come out with subsidies for ryots, he added.

Claiming that it was a clear attempt to woo farmers months ahead of the general polls, the Chief Minister said, Puducherry government had been extending such support to farmers since the last ten years at the rate of Rs 4,000 per crop season. Wondering how the Centre would find sources to meet its commitments made in the budget presented in the Parliament Friday, Narayanasamy said, "The Finance Minister has not clarified as to where the resources would be available for the government." The Prime Minister had not come out with any measure in response to the demand of farmers for waiver of loans they borrowed from banks even as suicides by a number of farmers had taken place in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Alleging that the central budget hoodwinked the people, Narayansamy said it was aimed at diverting people's attention keeping the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll in mind. Flaying Lt Governor Kiran Bedi over her visits to government offices and departments on the pretext of inspection, he said, "Such an act on part of the Lt Governor is only bringing down the image of the government and the Union Territory." "Bedi takes along with her a team of cameramen and videographers during her visits to offices which is reminiscent of a film shooting." Narayanasamy claimed that all these actions on the part of the Lt Governor would be over in the next three months.

Charging Bedi with functioning in her own style, he said, "I will not however refrain from making criticisms as it is my duty to speak out my mind to ensure that Bedi functioned like a Lt Governor without violating rules." PTI COR ROH ROH TRK TRK.

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