Naidu calls it anti-farmer

Eluru: Telugu Desam supremo and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu described the State Budget as anti-farmer and alleged that while allocations for Jalayagnam were increased, the irrigated area was shrinking. "There was nothing new in the budget," he said. Addressing media at Kanuru village in West Godavari district, where he was camping as part of 'Vastunna Meekosam' padayatra, he said the agriculture growth had shown a negative trend and the budget did not have anything to revive it. Naidu criticised that the government had failed to properly implement Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu scheme meant to generate employment opportunities for the educated youth. He said the women and the child development schemes were mired in corruption. The Indiramma housing scheme had become a "Congress housing scheme as all the houses built under it are being allotted to Congress leaders and workers." The TDP chief said that the state had been facing the worst-ever power crisis and the government had miserably failed to address the issue. Even though, the drinking water problem was acute in the state, the budget failed to take note of it. It did not satisfy any section, he said. He stated that around 30,000 industries were closed down in the last three years in the State. "Our allegation that Jalayagnam is Dhana Yagnam has been proved to be right. They reduced allocations for agriculture. They did nothing to stabilize prices of agriculture products. This is the last budget for the Congress party in the state," he said.