Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the Union Budget 2024-25 against opposition claims of discriminatory fund allocations. She emphasised that the mere omission of state names from her budget speech does not imply that states are ignored in fund distribution.
Sitharaman highlighted that similar omissions occurred in past budgets under the Congress-led UPA government. She noted that in years such as 2004-05 and 2009-10, several states were not mentioned in budget speeches. This, she argued, did not mean those states were deprived of funds.
The Finance Minister used these examples to counter the opposition’s argument that the current budget discriminates against states based on their political affiliations.
She cited various allocations from the budget to illustrate her point. For instance, she mentioned that Himachal Pradesh, ruled by Congress, was allocated Rs 1,900 crore for a bulk drug plant. Similarly, Kerala and Telangana received funds for textile parks, and large railway projects were announced for opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal and Telangana.
Sitharaman also noted a significant investment of Rs 12,314 crore for doubling railway lines in Telangana and Maharashtra, despite these states not being named in her budget speech.
Furthermore, she highlighted that Kerala received Rs 9,667 crore for a major highway project and Punjab, Haryana, and J&K were allocated Rs 18,274 crore for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway. These allocations demonstrate that the budget is inclusive of various states, regardless of their political leadership.
Sitharaman criticised the opposition for what she described as a “misleading campaign” against the budget. She accused them of distorting facts to create confusion and fear among the public.
She defended the budget by recalling similar practices during the UPA era, where numerous states were not mentioned by name in budget speeches, but still received necessary funding.
The Finance Minister also addressed allegations of favouritism towards BJP-ruled states, specifically Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. She stressed that the budget is designed to address national needs and priorities rather than catering to specific political interests.
Sitharaman’s defence included detailed examples of allocations for various infrastructure projects, including railway and highway developments, which will benefit states across different political landscapes. This approach, she argued, underscores the government's commitment to equitable development across the country.
Nirmala Sitharaman urged the public and opposition to view the budget with a focus on its substance rather than its presentation. She reaffirmed the government’s dedication to maintaining a fair and transparent process in fund distribution, irrespective of political considerations.
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