Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Feb 17:

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Prasad Harichandan today termed the state’s annual budget 2015-16 hollow, misleading and regressive.

Prasad Harichandan Prasad Harichandan

"Contrary to government's claim of raising budget outlay for 2015-16 by 5.15 percent to Rs 84,487.77 crore from Rs 80139.8 crore in 2014-15, practically there has been no increase in budget size and rather the outlay has been decreased, if you take the inflation into account," said Harichandan in a press conference held here today.

“The BJD government has not only weakened the state's economy but also pushed it to a state of bankruptcy. The budget is a means for the government to mislead people. Making a separate agriculture budget doesn’t make any difference as farmers are resorting to distress sale of paddy and there has been a negative growth in agriculture sector,” the PCC Chief added.

Harichandan also came down heavily on the BJD government for making no concrete provision in the budget to remove regional imbalance.

Taking a jibe at the state government Prasad said that the “BJD has forgotten its poll promises” of providing safe drinking water, health services and spread irrigation, facilitate agriculture loans to farmers at a rate of two per cent interest per annum.

He also took the opportunity to clear the air into the recent controversy surrounding former Nabarangpur Congress MP Pradeep Majhi’s tweet suggesting the Congress leaders to apologise the workers for not being able to win voters’ trust.

“He (Pradeep Majhi) has given his personal opinion. The party doesn't have to comment on it. AICC is analyzing the reason of our loss in elections. We will prepare our roadmap as per the outcomes of these analyses. We will do whatever is required of us. We won’t follow the AAP model,” said Prasad writing off Majhi’s suggestion that had gained quite a bit of momentum in past few days.