New Delhi: While the opposition made overly critical remarks regarding the Union Budget and termed it as an 'election budget', Union Minister Prahlad Patel said that the opposition is 'only doing politics' and this budget is going to benefit everyone. While talking exclusively to ETV Bharat, he said that he has two ministries - Jal Shakti and Food Processing - which are completely related to the common man.
"As far as food processing is concerned, the budget has increased by 135 percent. Its branding package has been assisted by the government in all these things, and the government has also offered great help for its quality branding," he said.
Patel further added that the farmers of the country have greatly benefitted from the budget, along with the small and big traders. "I think the biggest demand so far was that millets should get good marketing for the benefit of the farmers, which has also been included in the budget. The assistance of Rs 7,000 crore has been allotted to the Jal Jeevan Mission, a project to connect five rivers," he said.
"Similarly, Ken Betwa project will create employment opportunities. 60 thousand crores have been allotted for this project, taking into consideration that it is an important one. We have to provide water to more than 5 crore families. In the river linking campaign, five such places have been taken where water does not reach and rainwater is not available," he added.
He added that 7,00,000 hectares of land will be irrigated in Ken Betwa and 12,00,000 people will get drinking water and solar energy will also be developed. "This will also generate hydroelectricity and the crisis of drought and flood will be overcome. This crisis has been with all the governments and if this scheme takes shape then it will be of great benefit," he added.
The opposition, he said, is saying that in view of the elections, farmers are angry. "But so much has been given to them". "The opposition says that the Modi government has started the tradition of support price. The Modi government has also done the work of linking MSP with inflation. To date, no government had done so. There are several such aspects in this budget that will affect the lives of the common people," he said. Patel further said that it is the job of the opposition to find faults even if there is nothing bad in it.
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