Budget 2011 disappointing, says Nitish Kumar

Terming the budget proposals for 2011-12 as "disappointing", Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today said it had sops only for the election-bound states and lacked announcements on the issue of tackling corruption and bringing back the black money stashed in banks abroad.

"It is completely disappointing and not not promising for ensuring growth everywhere in the country... it has sops for poll-bound states and lacks due attention which is required for maintaining regional balance", Kumar told reporters while reacting to the Budget for 2011-12 presented by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in the parliament earlier today.

Kumar said the budget had once again disappointed Bihar as it had no no initiative for development of the states like Bihar.

He said the centre had once against failed to pay due attention to the demand for according a special category status to Bihar. "There is no no promise in this regard", chief minister lamented.

The state's demand for allocation of Rs 4000 crore per annum from the Centre under the B.R.G.F. in the next five plan period too had been ignored, Kumar said, alleging that there was no no proposal for promoting agriculture sector in the state which had agro-based economy.

The chief minister also expressed serious concern over making provisions of fund for Food Security bill and said the Centre had also failed to announce making available the cash subsidy to beneficiaries for distribution of the foodgrains.

"The allocation of funds of Rs 21000 crore for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is also too little to cater to the state's requirements", he alleged.

There was also no no mention about how to control the price spiral and the measures to be taken for eradication of poverty and creation of job avenues, he said.