Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed criticisms on NDTV, stating that the 2024 Union Budget did not exclude any state. This was in response to opposition claims that her speech only mentioned Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, both governed by BJP allies.
Ms Sitharaman, presenting her seventh consecutive budget, explained that legal obligations require the centre to support Andhra Pradesh post its 2014 bifurcation. She clarified that all states continue to receive their allocations.
She noted that multiple steps have been taken over the last decade under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, and reiterated the centre’s commitment to projects like the Polavaram irrigation project, despite technical delays.
Several opposition parties, led by the Congress party, had attacked the Union Budget 2024 over allocations made to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling it a ‘Khurshi Bachao’ budget but at the same time asserting that it was a copy and paste of Congress manifesto and previous budgets.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc criticized the Modi government’s lack of mention or schemes for non-BJP governed states. Congress leaders from Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh announced a boycott of a Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi.
Subsequently, many opposition chief ministers, including Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Himachal Pradesh’s Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah, and Telangana’s Revanth Reddy, decided to boycott the Niti Ayog meeting citing ‘unfairness’ in the Union Budget.
Tamil Nadu’s DMK also pointed out a lack of provisions for local infrastructure projects. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin warned that while the budget might support the government, it does not address national needs.
Ms Sitharaman responded, emphasizing that no budget can mention every state, and omission from the speech does not mean a lack of funding. She countered Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s critique, highlighting the simplicity and transparency of the budget presentation, aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision.
