Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has criticised the budget saying there was no big idea in the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Dr Singh, the architect of economic reforms in India, told NDTV, “There’s no big ideas in the budget. One idea, which yesterday was mentioned by Prime Minister himself, was to recommend plans to double farmers’ income in five years.
“I think that’s an impossible dream. There’s no inclination, there’s no way of telling the country how they achieve it. Because it implies a 14% of annual icrease in the farmers’ income in each of the five years. But I’m glad that the finance minister has stood by the fiscal targets, that he had outlined last year.”
Elsewhere, chief ministers from almost all non-BJP ruled states too condemned the budget calling it anti-poor.
Here’s what they had to say:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: Nothing for middle class in this budget. Modi govt cheated middle class which votes for them. BJP vowed to bring back black money thro enforcement, not thro amnesty schemes. This is wat Chidambaram also did. What is the difference?
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar: They have been talking about development of agri, farmers but nothing concrete seen in the budget.
Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister: Few points in the budget are good like more money allocated under MNREGA , Swach Bharat and roads. Other than that I think its a very simple budget.Had expected revolutionary budget.
Trinamool Congress: We are left with no option, but to call it a hopeless budget. No hope for industry, no hope for farmers, no hope for poor, no hope for middle class, no hope even for Sensex.
