"PM Modi's dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 clearly reflected": Union Minsiter Kiren Rijiju on Union Budget'24

New Delhi [India], July 23 (ANI): Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 has been reflected in the Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.
"This is a dream budget for all sections, especially for youth and women. Capital expenditure of more than Rs 11 lakh crore has been allocated. PM Mod's dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 is clearly reflected in the budget," Kiren Rijiju said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday.
Rijiju said that all sectors have been covered and it is a growth-oriented budget.
"If the opposition has criticised the budget means it is a very good budget," he said.
The Union Minister also highlighted the announcements made for Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and the North-East on flood assistance and said that it will give a boost to the economy of Eastern India.
He said that the announcements for skilling and employment generation are historic.
"Support schemes for women are appreciated. Banking services in the northeast have been taken care of. Financial mainstreaming of the northeast will be done," Rijiju said.
"You can see the tax rebates for the middle class. Bihar's floods are not limited to Bihar, they are an issue of the country. Why is the opposition rattled at the grants given to Andhra Pradesh," he added.
The Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, identified nine priorities for generating ample opportunities including productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling and manufacturing and services.
However, Congress criticised the budget and claimed that the manifesto of the party for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 inspired the budget.
Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram alleged that Nirmala Sitharaman "virtually adopted" the employment-linked incentive scheme from the manifesto. He said that she also "copied" other ideas.
"The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC's Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program modelled on the INC's proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki," Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said.
He also criticised the central government for not including a provision for conducting a census in the budget.
"It is highly disappointing that the Finance Minister's announcement on Data and Statistics makes no mention of releasing funds for the decadal Population Census that was supposed to have taken place in 2021, but has still not been conducted," Jairam Ramesh said. (ANI)