New Delhi: Charging Vajpayee government with failing to spur the economy, Opposition in Lok Sabha on March 6 dubbed the Union Budget as "a bitter pill coated with sugar" and demanded rollback of fertiliser price hike to bring succour to farmers.

Participating in the Budget discussion, some members belonging to ruling parties, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also sought withdrawal of the increase in the prices of fertilisers, including urea, to protect the interest of the farming community.

Initiating the debate, Congress deputy leader Shivraj Patil said Budget proposals were grossly inadequate to alleviate poverty, enhance employment generation potential, boost agriculture, strengthen rural and social sectors and promote industrial activities in a significant way.

Lashing out at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for failing to fulfil its promise of providing one crore jobs annually, Patil said ignoring the plight of people in many drought-hit states, the BJP-led coalition seeks to hike prices of fertilisers, putting enormous burden on the farmers.

Branding the Budget as a bitter pill with sugar coating, he said government has failed to provide correct remedies for problems like drought and said it is essential to enhance irrigation potential substantially.

BJP's Dhananjaya Kumar hailed the Budget as growth oriented but sought necessary steps to rollback urea price hike taking into account the demands made by all sections in the House as also the farming community.

PTI