Budget 'uninspiring', devoid of any vision: Congress

Sharma attacked the govt for failing to acknowledge the contribution of the previous dispensation for inheriting a healthy economy

Opposition today trashed the first general budget of the Narendra Modi-led government dubbing it as "uninspiring" and devoid of any new vision and big picture.

Participating in a discussion in Rajya Sabha on general budget, Congress leader Anand Sharma attacked the government for failing to acknowledge the contribution of the previous dispensation for inheriting a healthy economy.

"The Budget is uninspiring. There is no new vision. It also does not have any big picture," he said, adding the people of the country were looking for more from the new government as it "catapulted into power" by selling dreams.

The former Commerce Minister also slammed the government for holding UPA-II responsible for passing a "weak economy", saying this was not "a fair comment" as "we have left a very healthy economy and you know that."

Highlighting the growth recorded in different parameters of the economy during the Congress-led UPA rule, he said forex reserve of the country has trebled to USD 315 billion even as petroleum imports have gone up manifold. Exports also went up.

It was perhaps because of partisan politics which prompted BJP to highlight the country's economy as "weak", he said, adding as elections are over now, the new government should acknowledge the fact that "we have not left a weak economy" as "facts do not lie."

Stating that some of the budget proposals were directly lifted from the previous budget, he tried to highlight the double standard of the ruling party on the proposal of raising foreign direct investment limit in insurance sector.

He also took up the Goods and Services Tax (GST) issue to justify the point. Sharma said the proposal was opposed by the BJP-ruled states including Gujarat.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has proposed implementation of GST in his maiden budget, saying "It's time to implement GST.