Kolkata, Feb 1 (IANS): West Bengal's opposition parties on Wednesday described as "directionless" and "unrealistic" the budget presented by state Finance Minister Amit Mitra in the assembly on Wednesday.

"This budget is only making a fool of the people. It is directionless. There are no new development programmes," said Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan of the Congress.

Left Front legislature party leader Sujon Chakraborty also lashed out against Mitra's proposals.

"The approach towards tea gardens and agricultural land is unrealistic. In the entire budget, there is no reference to DA for government employees. There is no mention of prospective employment generation," he said.

The budget proposed exemption on mutation fee in case of selling of farm land for agricultural activities, and gave "full exemption" of taxes on agricultural income for tea gardens for the next two financial years. Education and other cess on tea production was also removed.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the government was only making cosmetic changes.

"You may win votes or elections by giving doles, but you cannot win over the people or change their fortune. The state government is only taking a short cut by resorting to populist proposals. They are only making cosmetic changes," he said.