Union Budget: FM Sitharaman rubbishes INDIA bloc's claim of 'copy-paste Budget', says interim budget had same details

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the full Budget presented on Tuesday had the same line of allocations and announcements as the Vote of Account statement or Interim Budget statement tabled in February this year ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In an exclusive interview with Aajtak, Sitharaman said the Budget was a step towards the Amrit Kaal and Viksit Bharat.
 
"The allocations and programmes mentioned in the full Budget were mentioned in the Vote of Account. We had prepared the Budget for the first four months, now we have tabled the Budget for the next eight months. The next five years are marked as Amrit Kaal and Viksit Bharat. This Budget was a direction-setting effort towards our goal for the next five years. We had this plan in mind how much to allocate for women, poor, farmers and youth. The claim of cut-paste budget doesn't stand here," FM Sitharaman said. 

Speaking on fund allocation to Andhra Pradesh, Sitharaman said that they helped the state as it didn't have its own capital city.

In her Budget speech, Sitharaman said: “Recognising the state’s need for capital, we will facilitate special financial support through multilateral development agencies. In the current financial year, ₹15,000 crore will be arranged, with additional amounts in future years.” 

Assurance on financing and early completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Project. An additional allocation will be provided this year towards capital investment for economic growth. Grants for backward regions of Rayalaseema, Prakasam and North Coastal Andhra, as stated in the Act, will also be provided.

There is no mention of ‘A Special Package’ or ‘Special status for AP’.

Opposition parties criticised the 2024-25 Budget on Tuesday, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi describing it as a "Kursi Bachao" exercise that caters to allies and cronies. He stated that the budget provides no relief for the average Indian, merely echoing his party's manifesto and previous budgets.

“-Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. - Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. - Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the Budget disappointing. “The Budget distribution is not need-based, but only to save the chair. The Budget had pleased just two people while ignoring the interests of 140 crore Indians.” Kharge claimed the Budget ignored all sections including the middle classes, farmers, youth, Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST). “The party expected the Budget to address the long pending issues of the farmers including the legal guarantee for the MSP, subsidy on fertilisers, and other things. But none of these things were mentioned in the Budget.”

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the issues of unemployment, inflation, farmers, women, and youth have vanished. “This Budget is also a bundle of despair. Thankfully, people are still alive in these conditions.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Budget 2024 empowers the neo-middle class, the poor, the villages, and the farmers.

Addressing the nation, PM Modi also said the budget would bring unlimited opportunities for the youth.

"In the last 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. This budget is for the empowerment of the new middle class," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Modi added under the 'Employment Linked Incentive Scheme' the the government will give the first salary to those who are newly entering the workforce.

"In this Budget, the government has announced 'Employment Linked Incentive Scheme', which will help generate many employment opportunities," he said.

"Under this scheme, the government will give the first salary to those who are newly entering the workforce. Youth from villages will be able to work in the country's top companies under the apprenticeship program," he said.