Congress today accused the government of doing an "accounting gimmick" of shifting Rs 15,000 crore interest subvention previously listed under Finance Ministry to Agriculture Ministry to project a pro-farmer budget.
"So govt does an accounting gimmick to show a pro agri budget? 15k cr int subvention previously listed under Fin Min now shifted to Agri Min (sic)," Political Secretary to Congress President Ahmed Patel said in a tweet.
He claimed that after the defeat of the NDA, in Assembly polls Bihar, it wants to create an image of being pro-poor and pro-farmers but their words and actions are "clearly conflicting".
Patel told PTI that a reading of their budget documents shows that "they have not been able to meet expenditure under agriculture and social sector heads".
"Today, the most pressing problem confronting our farmers is falling Minimum Support Prices and acute drought. The budget is silent on both these accounts. While the government could announce a bailout for bank NPA's, what prevented it from announcing a bailout for drought-hit farmers?" he asked.
Taking a dig at the government, he remarked "Their idea to increase farmer income without raising MSP is like expecting a patient to recover without medicines."
Besides, he said, reduced allocations in capital expenditure for Defence, External Affairs and Home are "not in the best interest for our nation.
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Sharma further alleged that the sanctity of the budget was broken by the Prime Minister's speech on December 31.
He said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was parroting the announcement, which Modi had made in December, before the model code was enforced.
He said the NDA government has been "forced to admit that there were job losses, thus making higher allocation for MNREGA, which was formulated by UPA."
"This sudden increase in the last quarter in MNREGA allocation is an admission of the suffering inflicted on poor people post demonetisation, the loss of jobs, incomes and daily wages, and the exodus which took place with people going back to their villages," he alleged.
Sharma also raised strong objections to the doing away of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
"We also question as to why the farm loans were not waived. This government has done injustice to the farmers and hurt them by only waiving off their 60 days of interest on loans. If the government understands the pain of farmers, it should announce waiving of their farm loans," he said.
The former Union minister said the government should worry on the exports front and the Prime Minister should not show "keenness" to visit the United States till he secured India's interests.
"He should not show keenness to visit US. Till there is any assurance, the Prime Minister should not be going to the United States. He should first make the exports and the jobs of Indian professionals secure," he said.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the defence capital expenditure (from Rs 86,340 crore to Rs 86,488 crore) has gone down in real terms if one accounted for devaluation in US dollar terms and inflation.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, "The Budget is disappointing. It has no road map for creation of jobs, increase in farmers' income and decrease in house prices."
He wondered where did the windfall from petrol and diesel taxes go, adding that there was clearly no windfall and relief from demonetisation.
"Surprisingly, compared to last year, social sector and SC/ST spending has reduced. Publicity expenditure has gone up. Many times they said budget will be in favour of poor, women and those in rural areas. But if you scratch the surface, there is nothing," he said.
Patel added that informal workers, small traders, farmers, women, students and central police personnel were left out in this budget.
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Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Maken said the budget lacked "concrete vision".
The budget did not mention a "single step" which the Modi government will take to give respite to farmers, youths, women, weaker sections, SCs, STs and the underprivileged "reeling" under effects of demonetisation, he said.
The government in the budget has "tried hard" to add one more aim of demonetisation as 'Data Mining' in the long list of goal posts it has "shifted" after demonetisation, he said.
Modi Government is "hiding" behind the dazzle of the GDP number but that number is being increasingly questioned, Maken claimed.
"The budget remains largely silent on the GDP growth projections, but yesterday's Economic Survey suggests eight per cent growth may not be delivered at all in the Modi government's term," he said.
Maken also mentioned "losses" suffered by railways and its "surging operating ratio" and said that the budget did not provide any "concrete solutions" to crores of passengers travelling by trains.
The Modi government has "miserably failed" in addressing the core issue of ensuring the safety and security of passengers, he said.
