New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) The Shiv Sena on Tuesday slammed the government for its alleged failure to mention anything about those who lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide relief to the middle class but appreciated that emphasis has been given to infrastructure projects.

Participating in the debate on the general budget 2022-23, Shiv Sena member Dhairyasheel Mane claimed that there were many shortcomings in the budget, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

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He said that the economy of not only India but globally has been weakened due to the pandemic.

Mane said the government had announced a Rs 20 lakh crore package during the pandemic to give relief to various sectors.

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The budget did not say how this money helped the SME sector, how the start-ups were benefitted or how the unemployment problem is being solved, he said.

The Shiv Sena MP claimed that three crore people lost their jobs during the pandemic but there is no mention about it in the budget.

He said there is no mention about the MSP, no mention about the increasing price of fertiliser and no mention about the initiatives to encourage youths to join farming.

"No relief has been given to the tax paying citizens. There is nothing for the middle class despite the hardships they faced during the pandemic," Mane said.

He also urged the central government to clear the pending shares of the Maharashtra government with regards to the GST.

YSR Congress member Sri Krishna Devarayalu Lavu expressed concern over the reducing budget for the food subsidy, rural development and fertiliser subsidy.

He claimed that many MSMEs were shut down during the pandemic and sought the government's attention.

Lavu urged the government to grant Andhra Pradesh the special category state status.

He also expressed concern over the attack on Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi recently in Uttar Pradesh and said that independent and secular voices needed to be protected.

JD-U member Dinesh Chandra Yadav commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his able leadership during the pandemic and said that because of Modi, the country's economy is growing now.

He said that because of the mass vaccination programme, India is saved from the third wave of COVID-19.

However, he said, the middle class did not get any relief from the budget and their interests should be looked into.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)