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‘Stark disappointment’, ‘anti-people’: J&K Opposition slams Omar’s Budget
BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma condemned it as an “anti-people budget”.
After Indus treaty suspension, Omar Abdullah says long-pending Chenab water lift, Tulbul barrage projects may finally take off in J&K. (File Photo)
The Jammu & Kashmir Opposition dismissed the Budget that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presented in the Assembly in Jammu as a “stark disappointment”.
Abdullah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on Friday presented a Budget with a total estimated gross expenditure of Rs 1,27,767 crore. Among the proposals in the Budget were six free LPG gas cylinders a year to all households that come under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, monthly sponsorship to support the education and nutrition needs of orphaned children, and incentives for government employees posted in remote areas.
BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma condemned it as an “anti-people budget”. “It is the lowest quality document in J&K’s history. The people as well as the MLAs of J&K were hoping for a good Budget from Omar Abdullah. It is the misfortune of the people of J&K that the CM from whom they hold so much hope, has disappointed them. This government has failed on every front,” he said.
The “only success” this government has achieved is in the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, he said. “The Budget granted to J&K by Modi ji is the only ray of hope in the J&K Budget. The seriousness of the government is expressed in its capital expenditure, which is next to nothing,” he said.
PDP’s legislative party leader Waheed ur Rehman Para also termed the Budget disappointing, stating: “There is neither hope nor healing in this Budget. We had expected issues of the youth to be tackled. To address unemployment, issues pertaining to horticulture, agriculture, daily wagers. The budget does not have anything for any section of the society”.
He said that the Budget is a “repackaging” of centrally-sponsored schemes that were in place during Lieutenant Governor’s rule also. “What are this government’s initiatives? There is nothing in the budget that’s an initiative of this elected government,” the Pulwama MLA questioned.
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone called it “bureaucratic as ever”, and slammed it for the absence of “political input”.
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Budget should have been a comprehensive package that detailed inclusivity and covered sectors with “potential to be the change makers” for raising per capita, job creation, rehabilitation intervention and aiming at bridging income gaps, he said, adding: “The budget is bereft of all this”.
Detailing his criticism of NC’s poll promise of providing free electricity for up to 200 units, he said, “Government has once again failed people by not providing the free electricity of 200 units. Only a promise like last year to implement a centrally sponsored scheme.”
Also criticising the government for lack of regularisation of daily wagers, fixing the minimum remuneration for Anganwadi and ASHA Workers, and MGNREGA staff, he said that there is no plan on part of the government to address the employment issue. “No plan to create new jobs as promised in manifesto. It is rather trying to hide under the fig leaf of routine advertisement both in gazetted and non-gazetted services”.
He said that economically “it will be as barren as last year”. “There isn’t even an attempt at pretension,” he said.
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