Not much to cheer for Kerala in Budget

Courtesy:www.dailypioneer.com

Kerala refused to welcome the Union Budget for 2007-08 presented in Parliament by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday even though the State unit of the Congress attempted a weak defence of it.

While the CPI(M)-led LDF Government claimed that the Budget was disappointing, the BJP State unit said it reflected the Centre’s loss of direction in financial affairs. However, the trade and industry of Kerala were cautious in their praise of the Budget.

Analysts said that there was nothing much in the Budget for Kerala to rejoice over. There were no major allocations or announcements for the State despite some general packages for the South like the special purpose fund for coffee, rubber and spice and another for coir and the handloom industry.

The slashing of import duty of edible oils is a matter of great concern for the coconut farmers of the State.

State BJP president PK Krishnadas said in a statement said that the slashing of import duty of edible oils was a severe blow to the totally collapsed agricultural sector of Kerala. He said it was regrettable that Kerala did not figure in the list of beneficiaries proposed for the agricultural package.

The BJP leader said though the Economic Survey had identified inflation and rising prices as the greatest challenges faced by India, the Budget had not made any proposal to solve these problems. He also alleged that the Budget had made some moves to appease minorities with an eye on the elections. “This will have far-reaching consequences,” he warned.