Finance Minister P Chidambaram's Budget failed to cheer some of the government's allies, while the Opposition was predictably peeved as it felt not much has been done to contain rising prices.
"This is a ritualistic Budget... it will have no impact on inflation, allocation to various sectors is nominal and it is not in touch with ground realities," CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta told reporters shortly after the Budget presentation.
Shiv Sena MP and former minister Suresh Prabhu also said the Budget did not have any measures to check infation.
"The budget is timid... there is nothing in it to control inflation," he said.
Taking a dig at the finance minister, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Chidambaram has made pet foods cheaper, but nothing has been done for people.
It has nothing to stimulate growth, Prasad said.
The Budget was widely expected to have measures to check inflation, which is hovering at a two-year high of 6.7 per cent.
Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, an RJD MP, expressed dissatisfaction over the Budget.
"We had asked for inclusion of 200-400 districts under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, but only 130 have been included... We are not satisfied," he said.
However, Chidambaram's deputy, Minister of state for Finance P K Bansal said the Budget will promote growth and control inflation.
The Budget also has good allocation for flagship schemes, which would benefit the common man, Bansal said.
