Nirmala Sitharaman Defends Union Budget Amid Opposition Criticism

Responding to allegations, Sitharaman emphasized that the budget speech highlights only a fraction of the financial distributions and that all states receive their due share.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman faced intense criticism in parliament over her union budget, with particular criticism coming from the chief ministers of Opposition-ruled states. They argued that financial allocations seemed disproportionately directed towards NDA allies Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

Responding to these allegations, Sitharaman emphasized that the budget speech highlights only a fraction of the financial distributions and that all states receive their due share. To bolster her defense, she delved into budget speeches from the UPA era, presenting her findings.

"I have reviewed budgets since 2004-05," Sitharaman stated. "In 2004-05, 17 states were not mentioned in the budget speech. In 2006-07, 16 states were not named, and in 2009, 26 states, including Bihar and UP, were not mentioned." She questioned whether funds were withheld from these states during the UPA's tenure.

Addressing the debate, Sitharaman remarked, "Just because a state is not explicitly mentioned in the budget speech does not mean it does not receive funds. This notion is part of a misleading narrative. It is distressing to hear claims that a state is deprived of funds if it is not named."

She further criticized efforts to distort the facts, suggesting that such actions were aimed at creating unnecessary fear and confusion. Sitharaman noted that, in recent years, ministers have visited various states to clarify the allocations and the financial support provided to each.
"The idea that unnamed states do not receive funding is incorrect," she concluded, defending the transparency and fairness of the budget allocations.