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NT Bureau
Chennai, Mar 24:

        AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa would give her detailed views on the Tamilnadu budget in the Assembly in the course of the discussions.

        In press statement issued here today, Jayalalithaa, who is also Opposition leader, said, 'if at least this time the Speaker allows me sufficient time, free of interruptions, to speak on the budget, I will give my detailed views on it in the Assembly.'

        It may be recalled that last year, Jayalalithaa after speaking on the interim budget presented by the DMK government charged that she was not given sufficient time and the Ministers interrupted her speech frequently.

        But the Speaker R Avudaiappan, reacting to her charge at that time, maintained that it was for the first time a Opposition leader had addressed the House for more than two hours.

        Reacting to this budget, Jayalalithaa said that it was insipid, dull and more like an accountant's annual statement rather than a budget presented for the welfare of the people of Tamilnadu.

        She said the budget lacked clear vision and direction. It has noting for the welfare of the people and for the improvement of the standard of living of the common man, she said.

        Stating that the budget has no new schemes, Jayalalithaa said, 'the financial document aims at hoodwinking the people of the State by trying to make them believe that all is well with the finances of the State and that the government tries to provide something for all sections of the people.'

        Claiming that the infrastructure projects started during her regime had now attracted new investments to the State, Jayalalithaa said the industrial policy pursued by the AIADMK government from 2001-06 with a vision of making Tamilnadu as number one State was yielding results.

        She also claimed that the funds obtained from the World Bank by her government was being used for various projects relate to irrigation, modernisation of agriculture and restoration of water bodies and their management.

        Calling for open disclosure of the government's overall expenditure and revenue from the time DMK assumed power, the Opposition leader alleged that the government has not clearly indicated its revenue and expenditure in the budget.

        Also, the true status of the financial position of the State was not brought out in this budget, Jayalalithaa claimed.