MUMBAI, June 1: The Bharatiya Janata Party unit in Mumbai welcomed the Union Budget presented today, lauding it for the impetus "to small scale industries, cottage industries and self-employment". Mumbai unit vice-president Ramesh Medhekar said the budget envisaged several schemes for uplift of the poor and backward classes. "This budget has taken into consideration the needs of the common man. Taxes on computers and software have been lowered, enabling the common man to go hi-tech," Medhekar said. He congratulated the Finance Minister for "wise allocation of funds for social, cultural and educational purposes".Political advisor to the Prime Minister Pramod Mahajan called it a revolutionary budget which "takes care of all walks of national life from agriculture to Agni"
Farmers, small industrialists and NRIs have more than one reason to celebrate, he said. Strengthening of industrial infrastructure like power, road, aviation and social infrastructure like education, health, social welfare coupled withmore resources for research and development will "build a strong nation", he added.
The Janata Dal, for its part, censured the budget for "neglecting agricultural development and small scale industries". "The budget has failed to address itself to the basic national task of removing constraints on growth with social justice and alleviation of rural and urban poverty," said Maharashtra Janata Dal vice-president A R Khan.
Samajwadi Party general secretary A A Kazi labelled the budget "anti-poor", predicting a "steep price rise" as a result of its "inflationary" nature.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
