Budget not satisfactory, says Navin

The New Indian Express, March 01, 2007
Thursday March 1 2007 00:00 IST PTI

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday described the Union Budget for 2007-08 as "disappointing", saying that it did not provide relief to the common man.

In his reaction to the budget proposals presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Patnaik said the rising inflation had affected the livelihood of common man directly.

No definite and concrete measures to contain inflationary pressures had been outlined in the budget proposals, he told reporters here.

In the agriculture sector, adequate outlay had not been provided for investment in agricultural infrastructure or in support to agricultural marketing, the Chief Minister said.

Asserting that the "injustice" done to the Kalahandi- Balangir-Koraput (KBK) districts of Orissa had not been corrected, Patnaik said it was disheartening to note that the central budget had envisaged only continuance of the existing provisions while the state government had asked for Rs 500 crore for development of the region.

Referring to the proposal to levy export duty on iron ore, ore concentrate and chromium, he said that such levy should be transferred to the states in full.

Pointing out that the budget proposals included reduction of central sales tax from four to three percent with effect from April 1, 2007, he said the loss of revenue on account of such reduction in the rate of CST should be fully compensated by the centre to the state.