M A I N   N E W S

Budget debate on expected lines
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13
The debate on the Haryana Budget opened today on expected lines. While members of the ruling party supported it, Dr Sushil Kumar Indora of the Indian National Lok Dal found fault with it.

Opening the debate, Dr Raghbir Singh Kadian (Cong) said the Budget reflected the priorities of the government and showed that it was moving in the right direction. He said the previous government misled the farming community on the arrears of power bills.

Dr Indora said since the Hooda government had come to power with a vast majority, the people had great expectations from it. However, there was nothing special in its first Budget, which did not reveal how revenue would be generated to meet the expenditure. He said even the Finance Minister, Mr Birender Singh, had appreciated the financial management of the state under the previous government. He pointed out that only Rs 5 lakh had been kept in the Budget for the much publicised Rajiv Gandhi Education City.

A former Haryana Congress President, Mr Dharam Pal Malik, said after the exit of the Chautala Government, the atmosphere in the state had become relaxed. Adequate provisions had been made in the Budget for the agriculture and industrial sectors, which were the mainstay of the state’s economy.

Mr Ram Kumar Gautam of the BJP said corruption in the administration was at the same level as it was during the previous government. He wanted the government to take retrenched employees of the Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation back in service. He also wanted that the MLA Local Area Development Fund should be set up on the pattern the MP Local Area Development.