Rajahmundry, July 24th: The Budget presented by the finance minister, Mr. K. Rosaiah, in the Assembly evoked sharp criticism from Opposition as well as commoners as it failed to give major allocation to priority sectors and also failed to address the spiraling prices of essential commodities. Mr. Rosaiah presented Budget estimates worth Rs 1.03 lakh crore for 2009-10, with a planned expenditure of Rs 40,164 crore while non-Plan expenditure crossed Rs 63,301 crore.

The Budget mentioned a proposed allocation of Rs 6,040 crore for power subsidy to farmers besides increasing free power supply to farmers besides increasing free power supply to nine hours from the existing seven hours. Allocation of Rs 217 crore for industrial development, recruitment of nearly 50,000 teachers through district selection committees, increase in rice quota to 6 kg and waiver of loans to weavers worth Rs 312 crore are some of the important proposed allocations mentioned in the Budget.

Telugu Desam state general secretary Gorantla Butchaiah Choudhary said, The Budget is nothing but numerical jugglery. The government had failed to spend funds allotted for various sectors in the last year’s budget and continues this in the current budget too.