'Interim Budget an empty promise'

Terming it as an 'empty promise' before Lok Sabha polls, leader of Opposition in Maharashtra legislative assembly Ramdas Kadam criticised the Interim Budget presented in the state legislature on Tuesday.

"The government has made only empty promises eying the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," Kadam said.

He criticised some schemes like distributing pumps for agricultural works. "When there is no power in the state, how will the farmers run them," he said.

Kadam also lashed out at the government for not giving relief to the people in the wake of slow down in economy.

State BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the government has misguided people by referring to past achievements in the Budget speech. But the people would teach them a lesson in coming Lok Sabha polls, he said.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, Pandurang Phundkar said the state is reeling under the debt of Rs 1.54 lakh crore (Rs 1.54 trillion) and the government has to take fresh loan to clear it.

On other hand, the revenue has decreased and there is no provision in the budget to rectify the situation, he said.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said the budget was not satisfactory as the issues like load-shedding, rehabilitation of project affected people, slow down in markets were not tackled in the budget.