AGARTALA, February 21 (TIWN): At the time when the Annual Budget prepared by Left Front government for 2015-16 is reflecting mixed reaction among the people of the state, the Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha’s budget speech indicates that the speech was partially prepared to criticize the central government’s role instead of focusing the state’s concerns.Though, it was also mentioned in the speech that strengthening and universalization of the public distribution system is the need of the hour to control price rise to an extent, the ultimate result shows that the people of the state are witnessing a completely different situation.According to the budget speech of Bhanulal Saha, the people of the country have been experiencing a process of intensified globalization and economic liberalization disregarding the interests of the common mass. In the name of consolidation, all the Social Sector Schemes including Food Security Act, MGNREGA and National Health Mission are being drastically curtailed for last few months.

He further mentioned in the budget speech that the Central Government continues to resort anti-people measures like stopping new recruitment, abolition of vacant posts and reduction of the opportunities of employment in the government sectors through outsourcing.

As a result, tremendous pressure is exerted on the state government to pursue the same policy by imposing different conditions while transferring funds under various schemes/projects. But the state government has refused to bow down to this pressure and implementation of alternative economic policies including increased purchasing capacity of the common people and strengthening the public sectors will insulate the country from global economic adversities, he mentioned.

Finance Minister tabled the budget for 2014-15 in the House with a deficit of Rs. 189.18 crore assuring to cover the deficit by means of better tax compliance, austerity measures and additional resource mobilization despite slowing economy and difficult financial conditions of the state. The total expenditure under Budget estimates 2015-16 is projected at Rs. 14948.92 crore with a growth of 20.56 percent over the revised estimates of 2014-15.

The finance minister Bhanulal Saha in his 24-page budget speech maintained to criticize the central government on different issue bust surprisingly, he failed to make any specific promise on job generation for the unemployed youths of the state.