· Terms Budget as anti-poor anti-farmer and non futuristic
While reacting to the Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Centre had again disappointed Himachal Pradesh by ignoring its long pending demands and the aspirations of the people of the state.
Terming the budget “inequitable”, he highlighted several key areas of concern and called for immediate revisions to address the needs of the wider population of the State.
The Chief Minister said that the Union Budget has once again failed to address the pressing issues that plague our country, particularly unemployment, poverty and rising prices. Though the increase in the allocation for interest free loan to states to Rs. 1.5 lakh crore from the existing allocation of Rs. 1.3 Lakh crore is a welcome measure however the tough conditions attached to it does not favour small States like Himachal Pradesh due to cost disabilities.
He said the state had repeatedly raised its demands for financial assistance for road, air and rail connectivity but it was unfortunate that none of them had been given any attention. The budget fails to address the issue of expansion of the rail network in the State. He added that despite strong recommendations, a Special grant for the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh has also been denied.
Knowing well that Himachal Pradesh suffered enormously during the disaster last year, but instead of assurances and promises made in the budget nothing concrete has been announced in the name of the relief package. The Chief Minister said the Himachal government had requested the Centre to release Rs. 9,042 crore as financial assistance following a post-disaster assessment carried out by a central team. “It is sincerely hoped that this assistance to Himachal is in addition to the PDNA claims of Rs. 9042.66 crore lying pending with the Central Government”, stated the Chief Minister. It was expected that Himachal too will be given direct assistance on the pattern of Assam, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. Although an announcement has been made for assistance to cope up losses due to the monsoon last year, there is no mention how much aid the state would get, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the cessation of GST compensation has put Himachal Pradesh in a precarious financial position, resulting in an annual loss that our state can’t afford. A special financial package was urgently needed on the analogy of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to mitigate this loss and support our state’s fiscal stability. The absence of such a package in the budget is a significant setback. “It’s an anti-poor budget and not futuristic. It is a total opportunistic budget” said Sh. Sukhu.
The announcements made in the Budget up from the congress manifesto like employment linked incentives, apprenticeship scheme with allowance etc. These were picked up from the congress Lok Sabha manifesto, the Chief Minister said.
He said that there were expectations for substantial tax reliefs for the middle class, especially in terms of income tax slabs and exemptions. However, the budget did not meet these expectations, leading to disappointment among middle-class taxpayers. He said that the budget lacked significant measures to address the ongoing issues in the agricultural sector, such as inadequate support prices and insufficient funding for modern agricultural practices and infrastructure.
Sh. Sukhu said the Modi government had tried to appease its allies due to its political compulsions and save the image of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. There is also no reference of measures for economic growth of the large population living under poverty and no mention of benefits or loan waivers for farmers. The budget offers no measures to reduce the import duty on apples, which would have provided much-needed relief to the apple growers of the State.
It fails to address the critical issues of unemployment, rising prices, and growing inequality. Himachal Pradesh, like many other states, is left grappling with the consequences of a budget that prioritizes the rich over the common people. It is high time for a budget that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of all citizens, ensuring equitable growth and prosperity for every section of society.” said the Chief Minister.
