CM Nitish Kumar on Friday said that the state budget for 2012-13 was development oriented and excellent with expansion of plan size. This would increase the rate of development significantly in the state, he said.

The CM said the objective of the government was to increase per capita income to improve the lot of the poor. He said that resources has been managed well and a balance has been maintained in the budget between income and expenditure. Development could be gauged only from the increased income of poor people whose labour would improve economic status of the state.

Bihar Chamber of Commerce (BCC) hailed the budget, stating this would foster integrated development of the state, besides accelerating the industrial growth. BCC president O P Sah congratulated CM Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi for presenting a progressive and development-oriented budget that will bring economic stability and help promote harmony. He welcomed the government move to give special status to agriculture sector and due care to infrastructure development.

CPI state secretary Badri Narayan Lal said the budget was anti-agriculture and anti-farmer as it provided only Rs 9,500 crore for the agriculture road map. This was inadequate, as 90% people lived in villages, he said. He said the budget neglected the food processing sector.

BPCC president Mehboob Ali Kaiser said out of the Rs 78,666-crore budget, Rs 45,322 crore had been allocated for non-plan budget, which would hamper development of the state.

Former chief minister Jagannath Mishra said the budget proved that there had been qualitative development in the last six years in the state.

TOI, Patna