Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Tuesday criticised the Union Budget-2024-25, calling it anti-people and claiming it is full of empty promises.
“There is no solution to any major problem of the country, whether it is employment for youth, support for farmers, or inflation. There is no clear roadmap. Instead of discussing the promises made and schemes announced in the last budget, new promises and announcements are being made,” Rai said while reacting to the budget.
Rai said that if people carefully watch the budget speeches of 2023 and 2024, many discrepancies become apparent. For instance, the last budget promised that one crore farmers would be brought under the ambit of natural farming within three years, he noted.
“This promise has been repeated in this year’s budget, suggesting no progress was made in the past year. Similarly, the promise to open 10,000 bio input resource centres has been reiterated, indicating none have been opened,” he said.
He criticised the Modi government’s much-touted Smart City project, noting that it has not been effectively implemented in the past 10 years. Instead of discussing smart cities in the current budget, there is a need to develop cities as development centres, Rai argued.
He also accused the government of partially adopting promises from the Congress party’s manifesto, which was formulated with public input.
“For example, the budget promises apprenticeships to one crore youth over the next five years with a stipend of Rs 66,000 per year,” he pointed out. However, Rai added that the Congress manifesto proposed apprenticeships for all degree/diploma holders with an annual stipend of Rs 1 lakh.
Rai criticised the budget’s lack of clear plans for MSMEs, which he described as the backbone of the Indian economy. Instead of merely offering loans, MSMEs, already burdened with debt, need substantial support. He warned that increasing both short-term and long-term capital gains taxes would hurt the economy, investors, and the middle class’s savings.
He noted the budget’s omission of MNREGA, a UPA project crucial for addressing rural unemployment. Rai also highlighted the government’s indifference towards the health sector, pointing out the need for advanced health infrastructure post-COVID-19.
“The poor condition of government hospitals forces the common man to rely on private hospitals, plunging many into debt for medical treatment,” he said.
Rai expressed disappointment over the lack of encouraging plans for education in the budget. He pointed out that the budget for the University Grants Commission, the premier institute for higher education, had been cut by 60% compared to the previous year.
Rai stated that the Modi government lacks a clear vision for the country’s development and is indifferent to pressing issues like youth unemployment, inflation, fair prices for farmers, and the rights of tribals.
“Like every time, this budget is disappointing,” he said.
