The Hindu : Other States / Himachal Pradesh News : Virbhadra hails Union Budget

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Wednesday, Mar 02, 2005

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Virbhadra hails Union Budget

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA, MARCH 1. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has welcomed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for 2005-06. Describing it as a growth-oriented common man's budget, he said that the Bharat Nirman special package announced in the budget for improving infrastructure in rural areas was a welcome step that would go a long way in ensuring a new deal for the development of rural areas. "It will substantially enhance irrigation, roads, water supply, housing, rural electrification and telecom facilities in rural areas and bring about a desirable improvement in socio-economic conditions of the people."

He said that the provision of more funds for health, education and drinking water was also a welcome step for ensuring the welfare of the common man.

Mr. Singh said that the State would also benefit by the establishment of the National Horticulture Mission from April 2005 for which a provision of Rs. 630 crores has been made in the Union Budget.

Setting up of Gian Kendras in every village for which a provision of Rs. 100 cores had been made in the budget will benefit the rural people of the State immensely as 71 per cent of the State's population lives in rural areas, he said.

Senior Congress leader and Power Minister Vidya Stokes has called it a balanced budget favouring the common man. "The agriculture and horticulture sectors would further develop and the hill state will be benefited with extra provisions kept for them in this budget", she said.

The State unit of the CPI (M) has called it a welcome shift towards emphasising employment generation, development of infrastructure in rural areas and investment in social sectors, which is in accordance with what was suggested by left parties in the memorandum.

The party secretary, Rakesh Singha, however said the actual expenditures visualised by the left were far short of its expectations.

He said as regards the tax measures and the range of reductions provided in customs duties on capital goods imports, their impacts on overall private investment decision remains questionable and could pose a threat to the domestic capital good industry.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal has described Mr. Chidambaram's budget as directionless and helping only the UPA constituents in various states. "No package has been given to the farmers and the interests of Himachal are fully ignored", he said.

"This budget has been prepared under political compulsions," he added.

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Virbhadra hails Union Budget