New Delhi: Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MPs in the Rajya Sabha slammed the government for "gross miscalculation of expenditure" in the Budget and sought to know whether there was any "misplaced focus" when the funds were allocated.
During the discussion on the Supplementary Demands for Grants, which Lok Sabha passed last week authorizing the government to spend an additional Rs 3.25 lakh crore in the current financial year, Amee Yajnik of the Congress said it was a big amount for which Parliament's approval is being sought.
"The moot question that arises is how come there is so much error in planning? I would like to know from the honorable finance minister, was it devoid of any priorities or was there any misplaced focus when the monies were allocated?" she asked. "Whatever it is or whatever it may be, it definitely indicates a gross miscalculation of expenditure," Yajnik added
K Keshava Rao of the BRS said this could be due to a "lack of control in preparing the Budget". Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on October 5 changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi, heralding the party's foray into national politics.
Welcoming the additional demand, stating it deals with subsidies, Rao, however, said there were about 75 supplementaries and six appropriations. In a Rs 400 lakh crore Budget "10 per cent is coming as supplementaries", he said. "I want the minister to revisit the figures. Ten per cent coming as supplementary demand is something which is not palatable," Rao said.
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Taking part in the discussion, the Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen lamented that India's "AER (agriculture expenditure ratio) of crop husbandry has dropped from 4.2 per cent to 2.8 per cent in the last few years". She also asked the Centre not to discriminate against non-BJP-ruled states in fertilizer allocation.
Defending the additional demands, BJP MP Arun Singh said it has been made to benefit farmers and poor people. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several steps have been taken up such as increasing the minimum support price to enhance farmers' income while keeping prices of fertilizers under check despite a rise in global gas prices, he said.
Participating in the debate, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha demanded special category status for Bihar, saying Goa is like southern Europe and Bihar is like Sub-Saharan Africa. CPI(M) member John Brittas brought the attention of the House towards high inflation in the country and stated that it was "loot in broad daylight". He also pointed towards the rise in the currency to Rs 29.17 lakh crore at present from 17.74 lakh crore in 2016.
Abdul Wahab of IUML, Kumar Ketkar of the Congress, Satish Chandra Dubey of the BJP and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena also participated in the debate.
