Interim budget is valueless: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dubbed the interim budget for 2019-20 as “absolutely valueless” and questioned the NDA government’s decision of placing an interim budget instead ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“This government has no moral authority to present the budget for five years when they will not be in power. This government will head for expiry. If you give medicine after expiry does it have any value? This is absolutely valueless,” said Banerjee.

She further alleged that the NDA government have presented the interim budget out of political desperation and asked why they have not presented a similar budget in the last five years.

“They are politically desperate. Why they have not presented such a budget in the last five years,” said Banerjee.

The Chief Minister slammed the Centre with regard to announcements made for farmers in the interim budget. She alleged that the NDA government was cheating the farmers and their measures for farmers are copied from the West Bengal government.

“Why they have not announced a single agenda for farmers(earlier)? You will be surprised to see that what they are now saying about farmers has already been done by us. This is just a photocopy and a duplicate. They are cheating farmers,” said Banerjee.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the country was going through an “ economic emergency” following demonetisation and flawed introduction of GST.

Earlier in the day West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi praised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in his address to the State Assembly for aptly dealing with the challenges of demonetisation and hurried introduction of GST which were “thrust upon” by the Central government. He also praised the West Bengal government for ensuring communal harmony in the state.