Fadnavis hails Maha Budget; Oppn says its "directionless"

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today hailed his government's budget as "progressive" given the challenges before the state, while the Opposition parties slammed it as "directionless, just "a jugglery of numbers" and lacking in focus.
"Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has presented a very progressive Budget keeping in mind the financial crisis and challenges facing the state. The budget gives a new direction to agriculture and rural development," he said.
The Gross State Domestic Product is expected to grow by 8 per cent during 2015-16 compared to 5.8 per cent in 2014 -15, an indication of good planning and honest efforts despite the adverse conditions, Fadnavis said.

Besides, substantial allocations have been made for agriculture, rural development and infrastructure projects in the BJP-led Government's second Budget, he said.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Congress member Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the State budget is full of "empty promises". "The Budget is not in tune with the existing financial situation."
"In his Budget speech Mungantiwar said 'tasveer badal dunga, takdeer badal dunga' (I shall change the picture and destiny). But the reality is that under this government, people's life has become miserable, especially in drought-hit areas," Vikhe Patil said.

"We don't think farmers will get the Rs 25,000 crore promised in the Budget," Leader of Opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde of NCP said.

"This is just a jugglery of numbers. Its neither rural nor urban-oriented budget," Munde said.
Munde, however, welcomed the provision of Rs 5 crore in the Budget for building an auditorium in memory of late NCP leader R R Patil, who also served as Deputy Chief Minister.
Former Finance Minister and senior NCP MLA Jayant Patil dubbed the Budget as "directionless". The farmers, farm labourers, entrepreneurs and other sections of society have been cheated by this Budget," he said.