The 2024-25 budget passed in the NLA lacked imagination and was more or less a con job.
Hilariously the NDPP Media and Communication Committee described it as ‘visionary’ which makes any sane person wonder if there’s any limit to sycophancy and stupidity.
The NDPP should first grasp the term “STATE BUDGET”. If the central government is doling out funds under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) such as, SASCI, for the construction of office buildings, roads, stadiums, and other infrastructural activities; FHTC under JJM for drinking water; or the government of Japan or FORTIS Group, Delhi, is constructing hospitals in the state, such has nothing to do with state budget. Also if Rs. 180 Cr is being sanctioned for ENPO areas under PM-DevINE, NDPP should please enlighten us as to what is its correlation with state budget!
Pray what’s the connection between hosting Khelo India University games in the state with the state budget? Khelo India Games was hosted before the budget was passed. Secondly Khelo India is the initiative of the central government. Thirdly budget passed by the governments are future oriented, probable expenditures and incomes for the coming financial year. So the Chief Minister took credit for the games held in the past for which the state government did not incur even a single expenditure and the NDPP Media and Communication Committee had the audacity to term the budget ‘visionary’.
So basically what the Chief Minister did, very disingenuously, was to bring together all the developmental works sponsored by the GoI by way of CSS – past and present ongoing works, and the donations given by private agencies, and collated all these heads as state budget for the financial year 2024-25 as if these were state government initiatives for the future. For instance, it’s marvellous that the block making unit at Wazeho cement factory which has been operating for the last 2-3 years has been highlighted in the budget as if it’s a new initiative to be undertaken!
As usual the state budget had nothing for the common man, sports persons, entrepreneurs, elderly, and farmers, etc. Basically, going through the state budget one gets the feeling that it’s copy-pasted straight from Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech.
Rising People’s Party
04/03/2024