Expressing scepticism about the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha asserted on Thursday that the budget is 'futuristic' and there is nothing for today and everything is for 2047.
"The budget is futuristic. Everything is for 2047 but what is there for today? You talk about four sections: women, poor, farmers, and the youth. What have you done for them? Does this budget say anything about increasing employment or doubling farmer's income?" the Asansol MP asked.
Expressing satisfaction with the healthcare budget and the vaccination initiative for girls, Mr Sinha remarked that "it is good that girls aged 9-14 years will receive free vaccination to prevent cervical cancer". However, he questioned whether there was any provision for health insurance for everyone, expressing concern about broader healthcare coverage.
Even as Union Ministers hailed the Union Budget tabled by Union Finance Minister on Thursday as an 'inclusive budget', it drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders who dubbed it an 'election budget'.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the interim budget is merely a financial web to trap people.
"The interim budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman failed to meet the expectations of the countrymen," said Mr Sukhu.
Lashing out at the Centre, Mr Sukhu said, "There was no mention of the expansion of the rail network for the state. There is also no mention of any rapid mass transit system for hilly states like Himachal, where metro rail cannot be started."
The Chief Minister highlighted that the Center ignored the green energy sector in the interim budget.
"Though green and solar energy have been mentioned in the budget speech, there is no clear roadmap as to how the green and solar energy initiatives will be achieved," he added.
The government presented the interim budget for 2024-25 in Parliament on Thursday with a focus on economic policies that foster growth, facilitate inclusive development, improve productivity, and create opportunities for various sections while noting that it will pay utmost attention to the eastern region including states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal to make them growth engines as part of a goal to make India a developed country by 2047.
This was the last budget of the PM Modi government in its second term with Lok Sabha polls expected in April-May this year. Sitharaman, who presented her sixth budget in Lok Sabha, expressed confidence in the BJP-led NDA coming to power again.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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