Nirmala Sitharaman Defends Union Budget 2024: Refutes Bias Allegations

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dismissed accusations from the opposition that the Union Budget 2024 ignored states ruled by opposition parties. During her address in the Lok Sabha, she emphasized that no state was denied funds in the budget presented on July 23.

Historical Context:
Sitharaman pointed out that previous budgets under the UPA government also did not mention all states by name. “In the 2004-2005 Budget, 17 states were not named. In the 2005-06 budget, 18 states were not named. 13 states were not named in 2006-07, 16 states were not named in 2007-08, and in 2009-10, 26 states were not named. Did they stop the funds for these states?” she questioned.

SBI Research Report:
The finance minister cited an SBI research report indicating that India created 12.5 crore jobs between 2014 and 2023, compared to 2.9 crore during the 10 years of the UPA government. She also mentioned the decline in the unemployment rate from 6% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2022-23, with youth unemployment dropping from 17.8% to 10% in the same period.

Increased Budget Allocation:
Sitharaman highlighted the increase in budget allocation for various social schemes. The agriculture and allied sector allocation rose from ₹30,000 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.52 lakh crore in the current budget, which is ₹8,000 crore more than last year.

Opposition’s Concerns:
The opposition had criticized the budget for its announcements favoring Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, states ruled by key NDA allies Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, respectively.