JAMMU: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State Spokesperson, Balbir Ram Rattan, while terming the Union Budget as focused, result oriented and people-centric, said that the reactions of opposition parties are not only baseless but also disappointing as the arguments in support of criticism lack logic and rationale. For reasons clear, it sounds criticism for the sake of criticism, he said.
Balbir said that the leaders of opposition parties must have done well had they at least once gone through the highlights of this budget before going public to react in haste.
“It is simply the reflection of frustration and irresponsible approach on part of the leaders of opposition political parties,” he said adding that such reactions show that perhaps they do not favour welfare of farmers, poor sections of society, women, ex-servicemen, needy patients besides having least concern for defence related requirements.
“Soon after the presentation of the budget, the leaders of the opposition parties were seen in a rat race to criticise and issue reactions against it without going into the positive and fruitful aspects”, Balbir said and questioned that how can a budget invite criticism which has thrust on rural economy to end the miseries of the farmers; lays focus on infrastructure development; provides record funds for road connectivity etc.
Balbir further said that, infact, it is not the budget which is disappointing, as quoted by the opposition parties, but their approach towards good things which is disappointing. One only wonders why provision of various schemes for women, youth, houseless people; opening of multi-training institutes and new Navodaya Vidalayas; Stand Up India scheme for SCs, STs and women entrepreneurs; initiatives to bring down pollution; making quantum jump of 228 per cent in grants for Gram Panchayat and municipalities; new health protection scheme; providing dialysis at all district hospitals; additional healthcare cover for senior citizens; construction of roadways etc. in the budget are being termed by opposition parties as disappointing.
These parties must clear their stand if they do not want the various sections to be benefited or is that they do not favour that economic lot of farmers gets a boost or the ex-servicemen enjoy the benefits of one rank one pension, the BJP State Spokesperson said while lamenting the criticism of opposition parties. He said that with the summing up the positive aspects, one must hail that budget this year has the potential to give a big boost to India’s economic growth with employment generation, while reducing social imbalances that have marred our country’s development for decades during the rule of these political parties.