The presentation of the first budget of the Narendra Modi Government’s 3rd term on Tuesday in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman drew flak as there was no mention of any packages for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Manipur.
Lok Sabha MP, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam reacted on X, pointing out the absence of Manipur in Nirmala Sitharaman’s presentation of the Union Budget.
“Absence thy name is Manipur, that’s the budget speak! Nothing on flood and rehabilitation package for IDPs in the state!” his post on X read.
This was his first comment on the Union Budget.
Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra also alleged that there was a partisan approach in the Budget.
“There was a partiality in the budget. The entire Northeast was not taken care of. Manipur was once again neglected. While flood-hit Assam was mentioned, Manipur that witnessed a catastrophic hailstorm and two of the worst floods in more than 20 years was not,” he said.
“Not providing any aid to more than 60,000 displaced people is also a setback. We are very much disappointed,” he said.
He alleged the Central government of ignoring the Northeastern state in the Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman.
He said that the ruling party has ignored the plight of the state, which not only suffered a major flood but also bore the brunt of ethnic violence. Manipur deserves a special package more than any other state in the country, he added.
The presentation marks Nirmala Sitharaman’s seventh consecutive budget. This is the first major economic document of the Modi 3.0 government.
Meanwhile, the BJP Manipur Pradesh on Tuesday announced that it welcomes the initiatives and proposals of the Union Budget 2024.
BJP Manipur Pradesh congratulates Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the Union Budget 2024, that is going to push India towards new heights of growth, welfare and inclusiveness, stated a release.
The budget is focused on the middle-class, employment creation, skilling, empowerment and promoting entrepreneurship in our pursuit of PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat’, it stated.
The government is dedicated to comprehensive development, especially for farmers, youth, women, and the poor, it mentioned. “We aim to achieve social justice by covering all eligible individuals through education and health programs to empower and enhance their capabilities,” it stated.
“We will intensify the implementation of schemes supporting craftsmen, artisans, self-help groups, SC/ST and women entrepreneurs, and street vendors, including PM Vishwakarma, PM SVANidhi, National Livelihood Missions, and Stand-Up India,” it added.
It pointed out that the budget proposes to allocate Rs 2 Lakh Crore for job creation over 5 years and a new employment skilling scheme to provide skills to 20 lakh youth in five years. Financial support for loans up to Rs 10 lakh will be provided for higher education in domestic institutions, it added.
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