Budget anti-poor and serves Congress’ interests: Raman Singh

July 21st, 2009 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh assembly was adjourned for the second consecutive day Tuesday amid slogans by opposition Congress members seeking resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh over the July 12 Maoist attack. As the house assembled at 11 a.m., Congress members were on their feet insisting that Raman Singh, heading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the mineral rich state since December 2003, resign.

July 20th, 2009 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on the first day of the monsoon session Monday and was later adjourned for the day as opposition Congress members demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh over the July 12 Maoist attack. The 38 Congress legislators in the 90-member house displayed paper-sheets bearing slogans such as "Raman Singh Istifa Do" (Raman Singh, Resign) and "Yeh Sarkar Nikammi Hai" (This government is incompetent).

July 10th, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji Friday presented in the state assembly a Rs.102.96 crore deficit budget for the financial year 2009-10, which the opposition termed as "anti-development". Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the budget was in line with his government's priority to make Madhya Pradesh a "golden state".

July 3rd, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has said the rail budget for the current fiscal presented in parliament Friday is "disappointing" as it offered nothing but three new trains to the mineral rich state. Durg-Jaipur, Bilaspur-Hyderabad and Ambikapur-Jabalpur are the three new trains the state has got in the budget presented by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee.

June 24th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, listing the state's demands, including that of four new trains and five new railway lines, to be incorporated in this year's rail budget, an official said Wednesday. "Since the railway budget is schedule to be presented July 3, Raman Singh has sent a letter to the railway minister listing out Chhattisgarh's demands," the official told IANS.

April 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Wednesday rejected allegations by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the state government had misused funds provided by the central government under various welfare schemes. 'The allegations by the Congress MP Gandhi against Chhattisgarh for misuse of central funds lack facts,' Singh told a press conference at the state's northern city Ambikapur.

April 2nd, 2009 RAIPUR - The Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh may prove to be an acid test for Chief Minister Raman Singh, who was widely credited for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) victory in the assembly elections last year. Many are asking if 'Brand Raman' - based on clean image and popularity of the chief minister - will work its magic again when the state's 11 parliamentary constituencies go to the polls April 16.

March 30th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stage road shows in all 11 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state from April 1. Party sources said Singh will travel in a special mini-bus in all constituencies and address at least five public meetings in each constituency besides holding road shows till campaigning ends April 14 for the state, which goes to polls April 16.

March 17th, 2009 RAIPUR - The Congress party Monday received a blow in Chhattisgarh as its former legislator and tribal leader Gopal Ram joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ram announced his decision in the presence of Chief Minister Raman Singh at a party function in the Surguja district.

February 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - The interim railway budget presented Friday by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad has let down expectations of Chhattisgarh despite the fact that the state generates high revenue for the railways, Chief minister Raman Singh said here. 'The interim rail budget is disappointing, it has let down expectations of millions of people of Chhattisgarh,' said Singh in his reaction to the interim budget.

February 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - The Bharatiya Janata Party Monday presented a Rs.222.11 billion budget which levies no new taxes for the fiscal 2009-10. The budget has a deficit component of Rs.11.85 billion.

February 8th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh's Bharatiya Janata Party government Monday presented a Rs.222.11 billion (Rs. 22,211 crore) budget which levies no new taxes for the 2009-10 fiscal.

February 5th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh skipped the three-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive meeting that began in Nagpur Friday as his mother passed away at a private hospital here. Sudha Singh, 84, died early Friday at the Ramkrishna Care Hospital where she had been since mid-December after she slipped into a coma at her native town Kawardha, some 125 km from here.

January 31st, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, who holds the finance portfolio too, will present the state's annual budget Feb 9. Assembly speaker Dharamlal Kaushik told reporters Sunday that the budget session of the 90-member state assembly will begin Feb 2 and conclude Feb 20, and the annual budget to be presented Feb 9.

December 22nd, 2008 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Tuesday appointed nine legislators of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as parliamentary secretaries with minister of state rank - seen as a move to stem dissension among the newly-elected members. The nine are Siyaram Sahu, Komal Janghel, Bhaiyalal Rajwade, Bharat Sai, Omprakash Rathia, Vijay Baghel, Sidhnath Paikra, Mahesh Gagra and Yudhvir Singh Judeo.