CHENNAI: Leader of opposition Tamil Nadu assembly and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday took an identical stand in criticising the first budget of the TVK govt calling it a “big zero.”Speaking to reporters after the budget was presented, Udhayanidhi said no new schemes or projects had been announced in the budget. “The TVK govt had scored a big zero in the first three months of their governance. Now, this budget is also a big zero. There are no new announcements in the budget. We could understand that the govt can’t fulfil its promises immediately, but we are demanding a road map for implementation of poll promises,” Udhayanidhi said.Udhayanidhi criticised the TVK govt saying that they indulged in only changing the names of the schemes and projects of the previous DMK govt. “They have added Vetri to all the schemes of the DMK govt. Photos of the chief minister (C Joseph Vijay) holding meetings with officials were released, but why did he hold meetings for changing names of schemes? The only change promised by TVK was the change in names of the schemes and projects and nothing else,” Udhayanidhi said.Palaniswami called the budget a “disappointment.” “The TVK govt bragged that it would present a grand budget, but nothing was fulfilled. No major poll promises were implemented. Stickers were pasted for the already existing schemes and are rolled out as new. What happened to your (TVK) poll promises such as Rs 2,500 for women family heads, six free LPG cylinders per year, Rs 3,000 per month for senior citizens, Rs 4,000 per month for unemployed, Rs 25 lakh health insurance per family and so on?” Palaniswami told reporters.Palaniswami accused the TVK govt of not taking steps to reduce the debt in the state. “With a fiscal deficit crossing Rs 1.21 lakh crore, the state govt is set to borrow more debt due to which the debt of the state will further rise. State govt had not come up with any measures to reduce the debt in the state,” Palaniswami said.When asked how many marks he would give the budget, Palaniswami said “zero.”
