Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has termed the Union Budget 2022-23 as anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-labourers.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said, the Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman failed to provide any support to the healthcare sector that was battered by the pandemic.

Referring to the proposal to set up an arbitration centre at the GIFT City (Gujarat), he criticised the Finance Minister for not acknowledging a similar effort being made in Hyderabad.

“We have agreed to financially support such centre in Hyderabad. It has begun operations. But unfortunately, the Union Government has decided to locate yet another arbitration centre in Gujarat,” he said.

Stating that the Government had failed in doubling farmers’ income as promised by it, he alleged that it, in fact, reduced allocations to the rural job guarantee scheme and increased prices of fertilisers, putting heavy burden on the farming community.

“The Budget has no direction nor intent and it is a useless and purposeless Budget. The entire Budget speech of Nirmala Sitharaman is full of hollowness and nothing but a jugglery of words,” he said.

He said that the Budget has got nothing to offer to the handloom sector.

Income Tax slabs

The Chief Minister also faulted with the Centre for not changing the Income Tax slabs, leaving employees and small traders in utter disappointment.

Calls for new Constitution

Stating that the Congress and BJP parties have undermined the rights of States, he said, the Centre Uhad been encroaching upon the States’ rights. Citing the recent example of changing the All India Service Rules, he said that the Government should have given more powers to the States instead of cutting into their sphere.

“We need to have a new Constitution in order to protect the rights of the States,” he said.

Hinting at launching a nationwide discourse on the subject, he said the State Government would soon host a meeting of retired bureaucrats to discuss the issue in detail. (eom)

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