Union Budget favours UPA allies in states, diverts attention from scams, inflation, corruption:Narendra Modi

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today described the UPA Government’s Union Budget 2011-12 as an attempt to conceal its all round failures and directionless governance, to divert the people’s attention from the burning issues like scams, corruption and inflation.

Commenting on the budget proposals, he said there seems to be no political will to provide the public any relief from the skyrocketing food prices, particularly the urban middle class and poor.

The budget blatantly shows favours to West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the guise of distributing largesses higher education in view of the coming elections to these states in the coming months. There is no mention of a word about a number of world class path-breaking universities started by Gujarat. The budget exposes the Union Government’s favours to its allies ruling the States. It does not reflect any schemes for the poor.

The Centre has totally failed to provide jobs or upgrade their skills to the youth to make them employable. Instead of raising increasing agricultural production essential for an agrarian country, he said, the government is increasing subsidies.

The Centre has failed to take any concrete steps to bring back black money in the country. Instead of providing 9incentive, it has imposed more taxes on the jewelry industry knowing well that diamond and textiles are Gujarat’s strength.

On the other hand, Mr. Modi said that Gujarat Government in its budget earmarked Rs.5,000-crore on just one project ‘Mission Mangalam’ for women’s empowerment.

However, he said, the Centre did the right thing in taking up the cues from Gujarat in broadband connectivity to villages, increasing salary of centre workers, scholarship to SC/ST students.