Allahabad, July 12: Slamming the UPA government for
presenting a budget "full of bogus claims and projections",
BJP today said a new economic model be developed emphasising
on addressing the environmental problems, particularly water.
"The Finance Minister spoke of maintaining a 9 per cent
growth rate, without explaining how he is going to achieve
that. The Prime Minister too indulged in wishful thinking and
said such a growth rate could be possible if world economy
remained sound, monsoons were adequate and monetary inflow
remained up to the mark.
"These statements are only aimed at misleading the people
of the country," senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi told
reporters here.
The former union minister said the budget, "which in
essence is a reflection of the vision the government has for
the country", had nothing to offer for the grave environmental
crisis, including acute shortage of water, which is affecting
production especially in the agriculture sector.
"Surprisingly, instead of addressing such concerns, the
Government is talking about achieving a four per cent growth
in agriculture, an absurd claim in view of the fact that
cultivable land was shrinking," he said.
"We demand that the Government addresses these real
issues facing the people and start by declaring availability
of clear drinking water as a fundamental right," he said.
Bureau Report
