Budget 2020 a great disappointment: Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi

Guwahati: Former Assam chief minister and veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Monday termed the Union Budget for the financial year 2020-2021, presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a great disappointment for common citizens of the nation, especially those in Assam and the Northeast.

Addressing the media in Dispur, Gogoi slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments at the Centre and the state for their inability to run the financial status of the country smoothly. Gogoi also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his lame attitude in implementing and taking decisions without taking common people into consideration.

“PM Modi hears only the Mann ki Baat of the corporates,” alleged Gogoi pointing to additional benefits given to the corporate sectors in the Union budget for FY 2020-2021.

Expressing his views on the BJP’s Union Budget, Gogoi said that after initial examining he felt that the financial condition of the nation is being treated in a wrong way through this budget.

“This union budget clearly depicts that the government is going for a ‘tantric’ treatment without consulting a competent doctor to get treatment for the ailing Indian economy,” Gogoi said.

Interestingly, pointing to a series of promises made by the BJP government to Northeast India and Assam in their earlier budget presentations, Gogoi alleged that half of the allocated funds are yet to be received by state and the its implementation is not seen on the ground.

“In FY 2019-2020, Centre allocated Rs 58,166.81 crore to NE and only 48% fund was actually received. In the previous years too, Rs 44,244.65 crore was allocated by Centre but only 66% of the total amount was actually received,” Gogoi categorically stated.

Taking about the special recognition given to Assam in the Union budget 2020-2021, Gogoi said that at a time when the government has desperately failed to construct and repair the national highways in upper Assam it is indeed shocking that they have mentioned of an integrated inland waterways from Dhubri to Sadiya in their recent budget presentation.

“Declaring Sivasagar as an iconic archaeological site is welcoming but why they don’t declare it as a smart city?” Gogoi asked.