New Delhi: The Opposition today (Feb 3, 2004) dubbed the Interim General Budget as a "gimmick" keeping in mind coming Lok Sabha polls by doling out give-aways, which contained "falsehoods".

At the other end of the political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a crucial outside ally of Vajpayee Government, hailed the Budget as "pro-farmer and middle class" that would elevate the "feel-good" factor to "feel great" level.

The Congress termed the Budget as "disappointing" and said it has turned out to be an "anti-climax", coming after a series of concessions announced by the Centre in the last few weeks.

Party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said there was nothing "substantially" new in the Budget, which was silent on the most important issue of unemployment as also for farmers, rural sector and the middle class.

He questioned the Finance Minister Jaswant Singh's announcement on the availability of loans to farmers at nine per cent interest saying, "This offer is intellectually dishonest because there is no mechanism to offer loan at this rate as farmers get loans through cooperatives and NABARD, which are not in a position to provide such loan."

He said the failure to raise IT limit has diluted the merger of 50 per cent DA with the basic salary.

The Left parties described the Budget as "an exercise of irresponsibility" and said the sops contained all "falsehoods" of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government to boost its electoral prospects.