In Sitharaman's Budget speech, copious references to Bihar, help to rain-wrecked Himachal, Uttarakhand, but silence on Punjab

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, July 23

Half a dozen mentions of Bihar in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s record seventh Union Budget on Tuesday riled the opposition members with many making it a point to register their protest every time the FM cited Bihar in her near 105 minute presentation.

NDA ruled Bihar where the BJP is in alliance with the JDU, which is also its partner at the centre walked away with the cake today though it was denied the special category status which the JDU had sought.

Apart from the JDU, another BJP ally at the centre the TDP also managed a face saver in the Budget with the FM announcing Rs 15,000 crore support to the state to build its capital Amravati.

“Recognising the need for a capital we will facilitate special financial support of Rs 15,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh through multi-lateral development agencies this year and additional amounts in future.

Both allies of the BJP appeared satisfied with the announcements with no immediate anxieties being shown.

The entire anxiety stemmed from the opposition benches with leaders from South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu objecting to the neglect of their states.

“What about us,” they said every time Sitharaman mentioned Bihar and other states.

The FM announced financial assistance for Bihar under various heads, including a new Purvodaya scheme to unleash all round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh; Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor with catalyst segment in Bihar’s Gaya; highway projects worth Rs 26,000 crore and power project worth Rs 21,000 crore; Rs 11,500 crore for flood control and tourism projects for development of Mahabodhi temple, Vishwapad temple, Nalanda and Rajgir.

FM also promised help to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Silkim and Assam, which have been ravaged by floods and rains, but there was no mention of Punjab in her speech.

The only Punjab reference was the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor which primarily seeks to help the development in eastern states.

Bihar walked away with majority shops today with around Rs 70,000 worth of projects with the FM not making any tempting offers for any of the poll bound states or Jharkhand, Maharashtra or Haryana.

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????? ????????@Sukhjinder_INC @DrAmarSinghINC @AmritaWarring pic.twitter.com/oA0mIaXAD3

— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) July 23, 2024

Congress leader Amrinder Raja Warring lamented silence on Punjab in the budget.

Union budget 2024 will go down as a “Sarkar Bachao” budget which was tailor made for two NDA allies in Bihar & Andhra Pradesh even as farmers, poor and youth across the country were ignored. There is nothing for Punjab in the sixth continuous budget since Shiromani Akali Dal… pic.twitter.com/617dMi3j2O

— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) July 23, 2024

“Union budget 2024 will go down as a “Sarkar Bachao” budget which was tailor made for two NDA allies in Bihar & Andhra Pradesh even as farmers, poor and youth across the country were ignored. There is nothing for Punjab in the sixth continuous budget since Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) exited the NDA alliance & govt. Those who joined the BJP to further their own interests in the name of “solving Punjab’s issues” must now answer why the State is facing consistent discrimination at the hands of the Centre,” said Harsimrat Kaur Badal.