Opposition Cong, TDP say union budget 'low on substance'

The opposition Congress and TDP in Telangana termed the Union Budget as low on substance, while the ruling TRS said the announcement of cash dole for farmers was an "imitation" of its 'Rythu Bandhu' scheme with slight modifications.

AIMIM also claimed that the new 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' scheme is inspired by the farmers' investment support scheme being implemented in the state.

"Loan waiver is what they (farmers) are asking for, (there is) government debt, private debt. At the end of the day, a farmer has to be debt free.

The Rs 6,000 (to be paid a year in three instalments) will not help them to be debt free," AICC spokesperson Sravan Dasoju told PTI.

Though the NDA government talked a lot about the hike it made in the Minimum Support Price for farmers, the increase did not meet what the BJP had promised in 2014, he alleged.

The farmers would not be able to buy fertilisers and seeds with this amount, Dasoju claimed.

TDP Politburo member Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy alleged that the budget has ignored the needs of states.

On the 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' farmers support scheme, he demanded to know whether the Centre has all the statistics about farmers.

He alleged that it was against the federal spirit for the Centre to directly transfer money into the accounts of farmers.

The ruling TRS claimed that the cash dole was an "imitation" of its 'Rythu Bandhu' scheme in the state with slight modifications.

"As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery," K T Rama Rao, TRS working president and son of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that "imitation" showed that Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao has more political sagacity.

"Imitation shows that KCR @TelanganaCMO has more political Sagacity & farsightedness,in addressing the Agrarian distress which country is facing ,@PMOIndia can only copy & paste has no original ideas or vision TIME for leaders like KCR to take this NATION forward," he said on Twitter.

Hailing the budget, state BJP president K Laxman said it would help build a modern India. The budget would reduce economic inequalities in the country, he said.

The decision to raise the IT exemption limit would benefit the middle class, he said.

With the Centre announcing 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' scheme, the state government should provide Rs 10,000 per acre (per year) to farmers by clubbing it with its 'Rythu Bandhu' financial support scheme, a BJP release quoted him as saying.

Laxman also lauded the pension plan announced in the budget for unorganised workers.

The budget exempted people with an earning of up to Rs five lakh from payment of income tax, announced an annual cash dole-out of Rs 6,000 to small farmers and provided a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to workers in the unorganised sector.