Congress Criticizes Union Budget for Neglecting Farmers

The Congress criticized the Union Budget for ignoring key demands of farmers such as legal status for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and farm loan waivers. Despite an increase in MSP, prices remain below recommended levels. The budget's Employment-linked Incentives (ELIs) were also questioned for their effectiveness.

On Tuesday, the Congress party voiced strong criticism against the Union Budget, claiming India's farmers have been severely neglected. Specifically, the government has kept silent on demands for legal status for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and a farm loan waiver.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 1.52 lakh crore for the agriculture and allied sectors in the 2024-25 Union Budget. Despite this, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh argued that only 3.15% of the total Budget is allocated to these sectors, down from 5.44% in 2019-2020. This reduction comes after a poor monsoon year significantly impacted agricultural growth.

Moreover, the budget's introduction of Employment-linked Incentives (ELIs) was scrutinized for not addressing core employment challenges. Ramesh stated the scheme benefits those already employed and lacks focus on job-seekers and women, missing the opportunity to incentivize female workforce participation effectively.