: NDA constituents in Tamil Nadu, including the AIADMK on Saturday welcomed the Union budget, but the opposition, led by the DMK, lashed out at its various proposals.
While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami lauded the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, DMK President and state Leader of Opposition M K Stalin said the annual exercise did not address issues like the economic slowdown and unemployment.
Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan used the 'halwa' analogy to say that the budget lacked solutions, alluding to a popular usage in Tamil Nadu.
Palaniswami, also the AIADMK Joint Coordinator, welcomed the various announcements made by Sitharaman in sectors like infrastructure, water management and manufacturing and lauded the Centre for not imposing any "tax burden on the common man."
"This budget has been efficiently prepared without imposing any tax burden on the people. The various announcements meet the expectations of the public and also ensures future growth. I extend my greetings to the Finance Minister (Sitharaman) for presenting the budget," he added.
The tax cuts would benefit the middle class and provide relief to them and spur consumerism, he added.
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Stalin criticised the budget, saying there were no major allocations for Tamil Nadu.
"This budget is more of a cultural imposition, with scant regard for the economic slowdown and slowing rural growth," he said.
"The BJP government, which is keen on Hindi imposition in anything...has called the Indus valley civilisation Saraswathi Sindhu Civilisation in the budget," he said in a statement.
"This budget is of no use to Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people," he added.
Further, the long budget address by Sitharaman was 'directionless,' he added.
PMK founder S Ramadoss, whose party is a constituent of the NDA, welcomed the sops announced for individual taxpayers and the various measures in the farm sector, but opposed the proposals regarding privatisation.
He also lauded the significant allocations made to the Education, Infrastructure and Health sectors and welcomed proposals like the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway and the tax sops "that will attract investments."
Setting up of a museum at Adichanallur in the state was also a welcome move.
"At the same time, opening up the doors wide for privatisation is a matter of concern," he said.
He also opposed the LIC disinvestment proposal, saying it was "dangerous" as the PSU was generating revenue for the government.
Haasan, founder of MNM, referring to the halwa preparation ceremony ahead of the budget exercise, said "the budget has ended with halwa for the people."
In Tamil Nadu, "giving halwa" to someone means fooling or misleading the person.
"A long address, but no proper solution," the actor said on Twitter referring to Sitharaman's lengthy budget address.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and independent MLA T T V Dhinakaran rued the budget had no major job creation efforts.
"It is disappointing that there are no determined efforts to revive the economy," he said in a statement.
He also said that tax cuts "cannot be expected to benefit the society in a big way.
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