AIADMK dismisses TN budget as 'jugglery of words'

Chennai: Tamil Nadu's main opposition AIADMK on Monday dubbed the state budget as mere 'jugglery of words' and the BJP claimed there is 'nothing new' in the budget.

Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged the AIADMK regime's welfare schemes like 'Thalikku thangam' (gold for mangalsutra) and green housing were 'stopped.' The financial resources meant for such initiatives were being used for schemes newly named by the DMK regime and as such there 'are no new or big schemes and this is what is happening,' he told reporters.

"This is the fourth budget of the DMK regime, it is mere jugglery of words, there are no schemes for the people, there is no big development plan," Palaniswami, a former Chief Minister said.

Citing year-wise data on fiscal/revenue deficit, he said the debt burden is Rs 8,33,361 crore. "Tamil Nadu is number one in borrowing." In an announcement on the procurement of new buses, the AIADMK chief said like in previous years, it will 'remain on paper' and that is the 'Dravidian model' of governance.

BJP legislator and party's mahila morcha national chief Vanathi Srinivasan said the DMK regime blamed the central government as there was 'nothing new' in the budget.

The state had a huge debt burden and there was nothing in the budget to improve the state's own tax revenue.

She claimed that the DMK government has given new names to central government schemes and announced them as state schemes.

The PM Awas Yojana has taken the name of 'Kalaignar Kanavu Illam' (Kalaignar Dream House) housing scheme and similarly, several other initiatives could be cited, she said.