The Congress and the Communist Party of India have criticised the AINRC-BJP government for presenting a “lacklustre” budget.In separate statements, both the parties have criticised Chief Minister N. Rangasamy for presenting the budget without any vision.Member of Parliament and chief of Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee V. Vaithilingam said the 2026-27 budget presented by the Chief Minister in the Legislative Assembly on August 24 was very “disappointing.” There was no concrete plan in the budget to address the unemployment problem and infrastructure requirements of Puducherry.Though the foundation for a grade separator was laid months ago, work was yet to commence. Also, the budget has not provided any clear timeline for the expansion of Puducherry Airport, the PPCC chief said.He also criticised the AINRC-BJP government for its silence on conducting local body elections though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a promise to hold polls during his election campaign in 2021. “The NDA was in power from 2021 in Puducherry. However, the AINRC-BJP government has not taken any step to hold the elections,” the PPCC chief said.Lacks initiative, says CPISecretary of CPI A. M. Saleem in his statement said the budget lacked initiative to address the needs of farmers, youth, socially-deprived sections and women. Villages in Karayamputhur, Embalem, Karikalampakkam and Panayadikuppam where members of Dalit communities were residing in large numbers lacked basic amenities, including proper roads, drinking water and drainage facilities.Of the budgetary outlay of ₹14,300 crore presented by the Chief Minister, majority of the allocation was towards salary, pension and repayment of loans. There were no major schemes announced in the budget to address the issues faced by people, including growing traffic congestion in the town, he said.The CPI also criticised the government for not making any mention of local body elections. The local body polls had not been held for a long time in Puducherry, he said. Published - August 26, 2026 09:59 pm IST