Haryana Budget is visionless, directionless: INLD

Chandigarh: Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Tuesday described the Haryana budget 2013-14 as "directionless and visionless".

"All sections of the society were hopeful of relief in the Haryana budget but it did not address this issue. This (budget) is directionless and visionless," Majra said. Taking a dig at Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government while participating in the discussion on the budget estimates in the state assembly, INLD MLA Ram Pal Majra questioned the "fund starved" government on its strategy to carry out development works when the funds was spent majorly on social welfare. "How can the state government carry out development when major part of the revenue is spent on salary, pension and interest?" he questioned. Majra even sought assurance from the Finance Minister H S Chattha in the House that there would not be any tax imposition after the presentation of the budget. "We have witnessed that after the presentation of state budget, VAT rates were raised, surcharge was imposed, power tariff was hiked and roadways fares were increased by the state government," he said. Majra also alleged that in last eight years, the debt burden on the state had swelled by over Rs 44,000 crore which had put a debt of more than Rs 27,000 on each person in the state. However, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the revenue deficit and debt burden as percentage to Gross State Domestic Product was within the prescribed target. Majra further accused the state government of being unable to give remunerative prices of foodgrain crops to farmers in the state. "The production cost of wheat and paddy is Rs 1,650 per quintal and Rs 1,566 per quintal but farmers are getting MSP of Rs 1,350 per quintal and Rs 1,280 per quintal respectively," he said. Intervening Parliamentary Affairs minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said that CM had written to the Centre, demanding Rs 200 per quintal hike in MSP of wheat. On education in the state, Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukal said, "I wonder sometimes why children of those constituencies represented by INLD leaders are not inclined to go to schools despite the fact that a number of schools had been opened," she said. PTI