Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday (July 30) addressed the questions from the Opposition INDIA bloc regarding the Union Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha highlighting that the Union Budget 2024 presented by her on July 23 is a continuation of the interim budget goals and is aimed to set India firmly on the path of ‘Viksit Bharat’ or a developed nation.
During her speech, she pointed out the the Budget 2024 is designed to build on the achievements of previous budgets, consolidating gains and setting the stage for future progress.
The Finance Minister added that the key aspect of this budget is its emphasis on social geography and inclusivity.
This Budget has allocated a substantial Rs 48 lakh crore for FY25, said Sitharaman. Sitharaman also highlighted about the significant investment in the Capex.
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For FY25, the budget has earmarked Rs 11.11 lakh crore for Capex, marking a 3.3-fold increase from the expenditure in 2019-20. The effective Capex is projected at Rs 15.02 lakh crore, noted Sitharaman.
Sitharaman took the opportunity to address allegations of favouritism towards BJP allies, specifically the JD(U) in Bihar and the TDP in Andhra Pradesh, which was raised by the opposition during the debate. The accusations suggested that these states were receiving preferential treatment in the Union Budget 2024.
Sitharaman pointed that the absence of a state's name in the budget speech does not imply that funds are being withheld from that state. "In a budget speech, if a state is not named, it doesn't mean no money will go to them. It was a misleading campaign," she stated firmly, responding to the uproar in Parliament.
She also referenced the past budget speeches from the UPA government and noted that in the 2004-05 budget speech, 17 states were not mentioned, yet these states still received their allocations.
The Finance Minister added that "No money is being denied to any state", dismissing any claims of bias or partiality.
Continuing the references of the past budget, Sitharaman pointed:
-2005-06: 18 states were not named.
-2007-08: 16 states were not named.
-2009-10: 26 states were not named in the interim budget, and 20 states were not named in the full budget.
"Kerala has been given Rs 818 crore as Viable Gap Funding," added FM.
In a pointed comment, she defended Prime Minister Modi, saying, "When an ordinary chaiwala manages the administration well, the INDIA bloc has a problem. This won’t work."
