AT Photo
Imphal, July 24: Moments after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the opposition Congress in the violence-hit Manipur criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, for ignoring the Northeastern state in the budget.
Congress alleged that the ruling party ignored the plight of the northeastern state, which not only suffered a major flood but also bore the brunt of ethnic violence. Congress says Manipur deserves a special package more than any other state in the country.
State Congress president K Meghachandra 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 which 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.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP in the state hailed the Budget, asserting that it was dedicated to the holistic and inclusive development of all citizens.
In a statement, state BJP spokesperson M Asnikumar said, “To achieve comprehensive social justice, we will employ a saturation approach to ensure all eligible individuals are covered by various programs, including those for education and health.”
“I am delighted to know that the budget proposes to allocate Rs 2 lakh crore for job creation over five years and a new employment skilling scheme,” he said.
Asnikumar said the budget seeks to ensure that all Indians, irrespective of their religion, caste, gender, and age, make substantial progress in realising their life goals and aspirations.
