Budget 2024: 'If a state is not named in Budget statement, it doesn't mean no money will go to them', FM tells Parliament

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit back at the Opposition parties for alleging that the NDA government has not earmarked funds for the states where their allies are not ruling. Hinting at that NDA government allies the JD(U) in Bihar and the TDP in Andhra Pradesh were not favoured in the Budget, FM 
Sitharaman said: "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." 

Taking reference from the UPA regime, Sitharaman added: "Budget speech of 2004-05 did not take the name of 17 states. Did money not go to those states? If they stopped the money then, then they can raise this issue. 17 states were not named then. 18 weren't named in 05-06, 16 were not named in 07-08. 26 states weren't named in 09-10. In the 2009-10 full budget didn't name 20 states."

“No state is being denied any money. We are not depriving any state,” FM Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha session during her reply on the Union Budget.

“I could challenge Congress party for all the budget speeches that they have delivered, have they named all the states… this is an outrageous allegation.”

“This is a deliberate attempt of the Opposition parties led by the congress party to give an impression to the people … Oh, nothing has been given to our states … TMC questioned the budget in the last session… several schemes given by honourable PM Modi are not being implemented in West Bengal,”  she added.

After Finance Minister Sitharaman presented the Budget last week, opposition leaders protested in parliament against the 'discriminatory' Union Budget 2024. They criticised the allocation of Rs 15,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh and Rs 26,000 crore to Bihar.

Noting the allocations to different segments and sectors, FM Sitharaman said:

1. “We have provided substantial financial support of Rs 17,000 crore in the Union Budget of UT Jammu and Kashmir this year. It includes Rs 12,000 crore towards financing the cost of Jammu and Kashmir Police."

2. "Core elements of social inclusivity and geographical inclusivity has been highlighted in the Budget."  

3. "We are taking a whole of nation approach to meet the aspirations of people. The expenditure of this govt has grown exponentially, at Rs 48 lakh cr in FY25."

4. “More than Rs 3.2 lakh crore has been disbursed to over 11 crore farmers since the launch of the PM Kisan Scheme.”

5. "Employment opportunities in the sense of self-employment have increased over the past few years."

6. “The UPA's record on inflation is impossible to beat… We had seen double digit, high inflation during UPA era due to reckless policies. Domestic inflation was higher vs global average during UPA regime's time.”

7. “When the Centre reduced taxes on petrol, diesel and BJP states did the same, UPA states did not follow suit, thereby keeping inflation high in their states.”

8. "When an ordinary OBC chaiwala does administration well, the INDIA bloc has a problem. This won't work anymore."

9. "India is the fastest growing economy post-Covid. We shall all work together to make Viksit Bharat by 2047. Our economy is shining like a bright spot after the Covid pandemic."

10. "Household savings have seen a shift to physical assets from financial assets. Registered investor base at NSE has tripled from March 2020 9.2 crore India as on March 31, 2024."

11. "Halwa ceremony is an important phase and has been happening for a very long time as India has a tradition of consuming sweets before any good ceremony."

"Halwa ceremony marks a sense of solidarity among the staff and officials of finance ministry."