From poetry to policy: Tanvir Sadiq hails budget

Jammu, Mar 8: The budget discussion in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday turned into an exchange of couplets rather than barbs between National Conference (NC) legislator Tanvir Sadiq and BJP’s Sham Lal Sharma.

Terming the budget presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as historic, the NC legislator said that it was for the first time that a Chief Minister held consultations with all the stakeholders before presenting the budget. “He also met with the PDP, BJP and Sajad Lone sahab’s party,” said Sadiq soon after beginning his discussion on the budget. He said that the previous government's budget had a deficit of Rs 18,000 crore when the region was a full-fledged state.

“And today we have just a Rs 5,000 crore deficit,” he said, while hailing the budget.
He said that this budget was just a beginning. “Rome was not built in a day. We started with AAYs, who number one million and it does not mean we stop here,”Sadiq said. He said that the opposition members were misleading the House about the number of AAY beneficiaries.

Sadiq highlighted his party’s manifesto, which opened with the couplet: Azm-e-rasikh

Shauq-e-kamil, Sa'i-e-paiham Ki Qasam Yeh Khayal-e-khaam Hai Tera Ke.

Without wasting a moment, BJP’s Sham Lal Sharma rose from his seat and responded with another couplet:

Patthar pe jo koi naqsh ubhaaro to koi baat bane,

Baraf ki sil pe tarasha hua chehra aakhir kab tak.

Continuing his speech, Sadiq said he understood the BJP’s Peedha (pain). He said that the government would fulfil all the promises made in its election manifesto. He said that the budget had allocated Rs 39 crore as disaster mitigation fund. He said that the government’s budget was a clear vision and it laid down a foundation for the next four years.

Sadiq said that he wanted to congratulate the Chief Minister for recognising the significance of the agriculture sector. “Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and Omar sahab has made a budgetary provision of Rs 415 crore for this sector, which will generate employment for 2.88 lakh youth,”NC MLA said.

He said that the budget also made provisions for the labs and other infrastructure in the crucial health sector. Sadiq also detailed the sops offered in the budget and termed it as a beacon of hope