Tamil Nadu budget: Nothing for farmers, weavers and fishermen, says Kamal Haasan’s MNM

Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Friday criticised the revenue budget presented by the Tamil Nadu government, saying there is “nothing significant” in it for farmers, weavers and fishermen and that the people of the state “deserve better representatives to script their future”.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvamyesterday presented a revenue deficit budget of Rs 17,490.58 crore for 2018-19 even as it allocated crores of rupees for welfare initiatives, including free laptop for school students.

“Overall Budget except for the ‘kural’ changed at the beginning, the budget speech seems largely a photocopy of previous years.

Nothing significant for farmers, weavers and fishermen. My people deserve better representatives to script their future,” wrote Haasan on Twitter on Friday.

The budget projected a revenue deficit of Rs 17,491 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs 44,481 crore. Panneerselvam said the total revenue for the state, including transfers from the central government, were estimated at Rs 176,251 crore for the next fiscal. The expenditure for the next fiscal is estimated at Rs 193,742 crore.

According the deputy CM, the fall in tax revenue growth has been significant in 2017-18, owing to the reduction in commercial and state excise tax.

He believed the economy would pick up the next fiscal and the signals are there in the growth of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).

He said the government’s total debt is expected to be Rs 3.55 lakh crore next fiscal end, which will be 22.29 per cent of the GSDP.

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