Nothing new in Union Budget for northeast: Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today said there was nothing new in the Union Budget for the people of the North Eastern region.

"The Budget presented by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has nothing new and no major schemes for Assam and North East", Mahanta told reporters here.

"The hike in fuel prices has resulted in a price rise of essential commodities in the region which is dependent on food supply from other states", he said.

"It was a personal failure for chief minister Tarun Gogoi who could never convince the government run by his party about the needs of the region", he said.

The former chief minister said his party will raise the issue of price rise and the multi-crore North Cachar Hill development fund scandal in the budget session of the state assembly starting tomorrow.

"The combined opposition will grill the government on the issue in the floor of the assembly", Mahanta said.