Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday lauded her government’s budget as job-oriented but the Opposition dubbed it “a political manifesto” that lacked vision for Bengal’s growth.

“We have tried to continue with all developmental projects catering to all classes of people despite our limited financial abilities,” Mamata told the Assembly after finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya presented budget proposals for 2023-24.

“I believe this budget is an employment-oriented budget. Crores of boys and girls will get employment...,” she added, calling it a budget for common people.

Mamata told reporters before the budget presentation that there was little to expect as the state didn’t have the resources because of continued central “deprivation”.

After the budget, she told the media how the state created over 40 lakh man days for villagers with its funds as the Centre withheld MGNREGA cash. She spoke about improving rural roads and giving Rs 1,000 per month to Lakshmir Bandar beneficiaries aged 60 and above.

However, BJP leaders were loud in their discontent. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari attacked Mamata’s claim of an employment-friendly budget.

Balurghat MLA and economist Ashok Lahiri claimed the state had been missing its tax revenue generation targets for a few years.

Comparing central and state budgets, Lahiri said Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave special emphasis on capital expenditure, which generally creates long-term assets, but Bhattacharya’s budget showed its curtailment.

Lahiri will be the main speaker for the BJP in the budget discussions to begin on Thursday.

Adhikari’s attack was purely political.

“When the erstwhile Left government went out of power (2011), the recorded number of migrant labourers was 5.2 lakh. Now the number is 45 lakh. This is what Trinamul has done for the state.... In this budget, there is no mention of how to bring these people back to the state and give them jobs,” Adhikari said, but didn’t quote from where he got the numbers.

He said the budget was mum on how to revive closed industries or attract large industries. “We think the finance minister tried to prepare this budget as polls-oriented, but did a poor job,” he said.