Opposition dismisses Haryana budget as 'hollow', says various sections disappointed

While he was speaking on the budget proposals, Bishnoi, MLA from Adampur in Hisar district, alleged that Hooda, while making a reference to the murder of INLD state chief Nafe Singh Rathee, had made a mention of Bishnoi gang and defamed the Bishnoi community.

Opposition parties in Haryana on Tuesday dismissed the state budget as ''hollow'', claiming that it has left various sections including farmers and women disappointed. On the other hand, the BJP MLAs described the budget as development-oriented, saying it will take Haryana on the path of progress. The MLAs were taking part in a debate on the budget proposals. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced waiver of interest and penalty on certain crop loans and did not hike taxes as he presented a Rs 1.89 lakh crore budget for 2024-25 financial year. ''All sections are unhappy with the government,'' said Congress MLA Balbir Singh. Congress' Renu Bala called the budget ''disappointing'', alleging that there is nothing for the women, farmers and weaker sections. Another party member Shakuntala Khatak described the budget as ''hollow''. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the government has done nothing except increasing the debt of the state. Hooda said the budget is not just an account of income and expenditure but it also decides the direction of development in the state. However, the present government has reduced it to just a financial formality, he said. ''In all the budgets presented by this government in the last nine-and-a-half years, the claims and promises made have never materialised,'' Hooda claimed. INLD's lone MLA Abhay Singh Chautala said treasury benches praised the budget whereas the debt has been mounting. There is only increase of Rs 6,000 crore in budget size in FY 2024-25 as compared to the previous year, Chautala said, adding that the government is ''borrowing heavily''. The state has been pushed in debt trap and the government is not serious in carrying out development works, he alleged. BJP's Satya Prakash talked about various initiatives of the Khattar government for the welfare of various sections including Scheduled Castes. Abhay Chautala also took on government over law and order, saying it has broken down. ''Our party's state president and ex-MLA has been murdered in broad daylight,'' said Abhay referring to Nafe Singh Rathee's killing in Jhajjar's Bahadurgarh on Sunday. ''Rathee gave in writing that he faced threat but security was not provided to him,'' said Abhay. He said last year he had also received a threat call after which he had got a complaint registered. ''After an FIR was lodged, for two days, I was given enhanced security cover which was later withdrawn. I want to ask the state's home minister regarding the threat faced by me. ''What action has been taken in the past eight months. Till today, I have not received any information,'' said Abhay. Jannayak Janta Party's (JJP's) Naina Chautala said the chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented his fifth budget, which is pro-people and will benefit all sections. She also touched upon several initiatives kept for women in the budget. Congress MLA Mohd Illyas said when a government presents the budget, people of every section think it will give them relief. But it seems they have not kept welfare of people in mind, Illyas, who is MLA from Punhana in Nuh district, alleged. He said the BJP MLAs claim it is a development-oriented budget which is ''far from truth''. He questioned the government for allegedly neglecting Mewat and said there is a shortage of doctors in the health institutions while medicines are not available. He further claimed that there is a shortage of teachers in the schools in Mewat while infrastructure in schools is also inadequate. ''Does the government treat this as development?'' He also claimed that incidence of cancer is increasing due to contaminated water supply. ''Is Mewat not part of Haryana?'' he said, adding that the government has not launched any development scheme in the past five years. BJP's Bhavya Bishnoi said Chief Minister Khattar has kept welfare provisions for various sections in mind while preparing the budget. Bishnoi said the budget also kept the welfare of farmers in mind and added that ''the chief minister, who is a farmer's son, understands the pain of farmers''. While he was speaking on the budget proposals, Bishnoi, MLA from Adampur in Hisar district, alleged that Hooda, while making a reference to the murder of INLD state chief Nafe Singh Rathee, had made a mention of ''Bishnoi gang'' and defamed the Bishnoi community. However, Hooda asked the BJP member not to spread ''falsehood'' as he had only referred to some reports which had talked about ''Lawrence Bishnoi gang'' in connection with INLD leader's murder. ''I did not refer to or mention the name of community as is being claimed,'' Hooda said.

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