Nitish, Lalu dub general budget as hopeless

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and ally Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Monday described the 2016-17 Union Budget as a "big disappointment" for the people and questioned its silence on bringing back black money stashed abroad.

"The Union Budget is a big disappointment for the people. It is not going to help the common people, farmers and youths," Nitish Kumar told the media persons here.

The general budget was presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Nitish Kumar said it is difficult for him give pass marks to the Union Budget.

The chief minister said that there was no initiative in the budget to bring back black money from abroad. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money if elected to power at the Centre, but now the government is silent over it," he said.

Lalu Prasad said the Modi government has cheated the people on the black money issue.

"The government has failed to bring back black money (from abroad) and the UnBon budget is silent on it," the former chief minister said.

Lalu Prasad said the budget has disappointed the people because there was no hope in it for them.