Chunk Of Budget Scooped Out For Infrastructure In Poll-Bound States

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today made big announcements for states heading for assembly polls, setting aside large amounts for their infrastructure including road and railway. The list was headed by Tamil Nadu followed by Kerala -- two states where the BJP practically has no footprint.

A whopping 1.03 lakh crore has been set aside for Tamil Nadu, where the BJP has tied up with the ruling AIADMK. Headed for decades by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK is contesting its first state election without the "Iron lady" of Tamil politics in face of the challenge from DMK and the Congress.

In Kerala, the Centre has earmarked Rs 65,000 crore for roads. The BJP won its first seat in the state in 2016 -- with former union minister O Rajagopal winning the Nemom constituency in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Assam has got a moderate Rs 34,000 crore for its road projects over three years.

Bengal, which currently is the big target of the BJP, gets Rs 25,000 crore for 695 km of highway. A special Rs 1000-crore welfare scheme has also been announced for workers in the tea plantations of Assam and Bengal.

Derek O' Brien, senior leader of Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress tweeted:

What Bengal did yesterday, Centre only talks today:

Budget'21 promise – 625km roads in WB
WB govt. (2018) – New roads of 5111 km, #1 in India. Plus 1165 km (2019). (3/3)

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) February 1, 2021

Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi aleged that the government has cut out expenditure in key areas to boost election-bound states.

"No tax relief for salaried class. Nothing much for women except the lip service towards existing schemes. Nothing much fr children who lost out on their studies due to exacerbated digital divide
What we have -new Privatisation targets, manifesto promises to election going states," her tweet read.