From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 1: In a harsh thumbs down to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget for the year 2018-19, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed it as a "total disappointment, lacking in both vision and direction."

Offering his take on the Narendra Modi government’s crucial budget in penultimate year of its term before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister said it was presented keeping an eye on the next year’s Lok Sabha election.

Reacting to various budgetary proposals made by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Siddaramaiah said the Modi government has made several false promises to woo voters during the next year’s elections to the parliament.

The budget has not come to the rescue of farmers who were facing severe financial distress owing to crop loss and decline in the commodity prices, he said.

The Chief Minister said he was completely disappointed with the budget as it has refrained from announcing short-term crop loan waiver or provide any kind of relief to farmers.

He said the people had lots of expectations from the budget on farm loan waiver but Jaitley has disappointed people of the state.

"The budget has not addressed the difficulties of the common people or the poor," he said.

The new health insurance scheme has been announced without allocating money in the budget, he said and pointed out that it was not growth oriented despite all the loud talk and false hopes on development or Vikas.

"The budget has no focus on accelerating the farm growth rate," Siddaramaiah said.

"This budget is all about big slogans and no tangible programmes," he said.

"The Modi government only talks about giving emphasis to the agriculture sector and taking measures to help farmers. In reality, NDA government has done anything. Minimum Support Price (MSP) provided to procure foodgrains from farmers also is not up to farmers expectations," the Chief Minister said.

Further, he said for procuring tur dal, the Centre has given barely Rs 5,400 per quintal when farmers were asking for Rs 6,500. The State government is adding another Rs 600 and is procuring tur dal at Rs 6,000 per quintal.

The Chief Minister said the budget has failed to address the issue of unemployment and has have not taken any measures to generate employment.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao also said the budget disappointed the people of the State.