Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday termed the TVK government's maiden Budget a "big zero", alleging that it reduced the allocation for education, failed to fulfil election promises and merely rebranded welfare schemes introduced by the previous DMK government.
Reacting to the Budget, he said, "... look at the allocation for the education department every year during the DMK regime... our leader (M K Stalin) had allocated Rs 48,500 crore for education in the last budget. Now, reducing it, they have allocated only Rs 44,500 crore this time."
The LoP alleged that the reduction in the education outlay marked a step backward for the state, contrasting it with what he described as the DMK government's focus on education, healthcare and industrial growth. He also criticised the government for not increasing financial assistance for women to Rs 2,500 as promised.
Taking aim at the ruling government's first 100 days in office, Udhayanidhi accused it of merely rebranding existing welfare programmes instead of introducing new initiatives.
"There is no scheme in this budget to fulfil the promises made during the election campaign. We should thank the Finance Minister for acknowledging that Tamil Nadu ranks number one in many sectors. However, this government has merely pasted the name 'Vetri' — which is also the name of their party — onto existing schemes," he said.
"We had announced a scheme to distribute 20 lakh laptops, of which 10 lakh had already been distributed. They have simply renamed it the Vetri Laptop Scheme," he added.
He further alleged that the government's fiscal vision fell short of Tamil Nadu's legacy in welfare and development, while criticising its handling of the Mekedatu issue.
"Tamil Nadu has long been a leader in social justice, education, healthcare and industrial development, but that vision is missing under this government. This TVK government has not had the courage to stop the construction of the Mekedatu Dam, nor has it taken any concrete steps to address the issue," Udhayanidhi alleged.
Questioning the Chief Minister's silence on NEET, the DMK leader said, "While the INDIA alliance is protesting against NEET, this government has taken no meaningful action on the issue. The Chief Minister did not respond to these concerns; instead, the PWD Minister answered them. If that is the case, why should the Opposition come to the Assembly expecting answers from the Chief Minister?"
He also said the Budget lacked a roadmap for implementing the ruling party's election promises and asserted that the Opposition would continue to hold the government accountable in the Assembly.
"The Chief Minister asked for time to fulfil his election promises, but even in today's budget, there was no roadmap or announcement regarding their implementation. The DMK is ready to question the government throughout this Assembly session, and we expect the government to answer those questions. The TVK promised to bring change, but the only change it has brought is changing the names of old schemes," he said.
