It's a budget of economic reforms: Ravi

'Critics should remember slogans don't make a good budget'

MLA and BJP state general secretary C T Ravi has described the Union budget as ‘the budget of economic reforms’. He said on Thursday emphasis has been laid on employment generation, agriculture and rural development. The Centre, through the budget, has taken a firm stand to make the economy stronger, he appreciated.

Some people have been criticising the budget only for the sake of criticising it. They should remember that the slogans alone cannot make a good budget. The budget has given priority to the building of basic infrastructure and more funds have been allocated for this purpose, he added.

Transport, rural development, basic amenities, construction of 10 lakh lakes and development of National Highways are the salient features of this budget. These sectors will generate employment in large numbers, which will in turn help the national economy. But still, the Opposition is adamant on its stand, he said. Restriction on the transactions exceeding Rs 3 lakh is another revolutionary decision after note ban, Ravi said.

The budget is also pro-poor because it has been announced in the budget that one crore houses will be built for economically deprived classes. During the tenure of Congress, the 10 Five Year Plans were not completed before the target. But, after BJP has taken over, the Central government has set a target to provide electrification to all villages before 2018, he noted.

Also, the government has decided to seize the assets of loan defaulters. Congress was the one which provided Rs 40 to 50 thousand crore loans to business tycoons, he criticised. MLC M K Pranesh, the party’s district committee general secretary C H Lokesh, spokesperson Varasiddhi Venugopal and Uppalli Anwar of Minority Morcha were present in the press conference.