Describing the Union Budget 2017-18 as disappointing, YSR Congress has said that it has no mention on the core issues relevant to the state which bore the brunt during the division of the Andhra Pradesh.

According to the party senior leader and former minister K Parthasaradhi the disappointment comes from the fact there is no mention on the Special Category Status (SCS) and the special railway zone besides rail connectivity of the new capital Amaravathi.

He deplored that it has shown neither concern for the farmers nor any attempt to redress the financial difficulties the new state is facing. Though the Union Finance Minister has said that the agriculture income would increase two-fold, he did the mention the methodology.

The agriculture income goes up only if the MSP is increased or doubled in this case or if the input costs are heavily subsidised and there is no such mention in the budget,’ he added.

Stating that the fall in petroleum prices has come like a boon to the NDA government, he expressed concern the benefit was not passed on to the people and there is nothing to cheer about for the farmers, poorer sections and middle class, he said.

Meanwhile, YSRCP MPs have staged a walkout from Lok Sabha today protesting against ignoring the demand for special category state status to Andhra Pradesh and the demand for special railway zone to Visakhapatnam. The party MPs led by party’s Parliamentary Party leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy expressed their dissent over the Union Budget completely ignoring the interests of Andhra Pradesh.

Later outside Parliament, party MP Vijaysai Reddy deplored that the Central Government had completely ignored the aspirations of the Telugus. He said waiving of capital gains tax on AP capital area farmers will not benefit the farmers in any way. The exemption on capital gains in the capital area region and unemployment scheme of PM Rojgar Yojna would be defaced in the state defeating the very purpose of the scheme, he added.