Kathmandu— On Thursday, DMK legislators in Tamil Nadu donned black shirts ahead of the presentation of the state's Agriculture Budget. The move was seen as a protest against what they view as an inadequate budget that fails to address farmers' issues and rising living costs. Former Chief Minister MK Stalin called it a 'waste,' while Finance Minister Marie Wilson presented a visionary roadmap for transforming Tamil Nadu into a 1.5 trillion-dollar economy by 2031.

Stalin's Criticism

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin took to X, the social media platform, to criticize the budget as a 'waste' that lacks original thinking. He argued that it is merely a remake of previous schemes from the Dravidian Model government and fails to meet public expectations. "Not only that, this is a 'remake version' budget of the Dravidian Model government's schemes," Stalin posted, emphasizing his disappointment with the lack of innovation in the budget.

Budget Details

The Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Marie Wilson presented the state budget for 2026-27 on Wednesday. The budget outlines a roadmap to transform Tamil Nadu into a 1.5 trillion-dollar economy by 2031, with significant allocations towards education and welfare initiatives. A major portion of Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for modernizing 3,734 government schools in the state. Additionally, the 'Super Clean, Super Campus' initiative will be launched in 10,000 schools to enhance hygiene and security.

Former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu criticized the budget's technical aspects, noting that it contradicts previous submissions and indicates a trend of increased borrowing. "The net borrowing is now Rs 22,000 crores," he said, expressing concern about the state government potentially falling into a debt trap.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.