PATNA: Leader of opposition in legislative Assembly
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Thursday said the Union Budget presented by finance minister Aun Jaitley had nothing for Bihar.
Tejashwi also took potshots at CM Nitish Kumar over his much-hyped idiom of "double engine". "Is this the double engine Nitish talks about? It is because of him that the Centre is meting out step-motherly treatment to Bihar," Tejashwi said.
The "double engine" idiom was first used by PM Narendra Modi during the 2015 assembly polls in the state, which RJD and JD (U) had fought in alliance. Modi had said that the state must have the same party - the BJP - in power at the Centre as well as in Bihar for rapid development. The idiom has of late been repeatedly used by the young RJD leader, who was formerly Kumar's deputy, for taking potshots at the CM whose exit from Mahagathbandhan followed corruption cases against Lalu Prasad.
Accusing Narendra Modi-led government of being "pro-rich", Tejashwi said, "The BJP has done nothing at the ground so far. It only tries to sell shallow dreams and mostly serves to the interest of the rich," Tejashwi said. He termed the announcement of hike in minimum support price for crop procurement a "farce", claiming that market rate of the same is much lower.
"Budget is an illusory for farmers. The MSP for paddy is Rs 1,600 per quintal, but no one purchases it at that cost in the market. Consequently, the farmers are forced to sell it at Rs 1,300 per quintal. How can the Modi government think of farmers getting buyers at even higher MSP?" Tejashwi asked.
The former deputy CM also challenged the announcement of creation of 75 lakh jobs for youths made in the Budget speech of Jaitley. "The government has claimed that 75 lakh new jobs will be created, but it should first tell the country how many jobs it has created in the last four years," Tejashwi said.
He criticised the Centre for "ignoring" education and health sectors as well as railways.
