Union Budget 2024-25 Sparks Political Divide!

The Union Budget 2024-25 aims to create jobs and benefit various sectors, says Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticizes it as politically biased and anti-people. FM Nirmala Sitharaman highlights key priorities including employment, agriculture productivity, and infrastructural development.

Union Minister of State and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar praised the Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday, describing it as comprehensive and primarily focused on job creation, benefiting all sections of society. 'First of all, this Budget is a holistic budget. The main emphasis is on job creation. A provision of Rs 1.48 Lakh Crores has been made for job creation, education, and skilling. This simplifies things for the middle class; a rebate has been given in taxation too. The Government has brought a budget that adopts a holistic approach, making an effort to touch every section of society,' Majumdar told ANI.

Conversely, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Union Budget 2024-25, calling it politically motivated, directionless, and anti-people. 'Directionless, anti-people, no vision, only political mission is there. I don’t see any light; it is dark,' she stated.

She accused the Budget of being biased and not addressing the needs of the common people. 'This Budget is anti-people, anti-poor, and not for the common man. This is a Budget to appease one party, full of political biases,' she remarked. Banerjee also condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making empty promises during elections and failing to fulfill them afterward. 'They make tall claims and promises during elections. But after they get votes, they forget Darjeeling, Kalimpong... People in the hills of Darjeeling should remember this. Let Sikkim get things; we have no objection, but keeping Darjeeling deprived is not right,' she argued.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her record seventh consecutive Union Budget for 2024-25 during the Budget Session of Parliament. She made history as the first finance minister to present seven consecutive budget speeches, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented six consecutive budgets between 1959 and 1964.

In her seventh consecutive Union Budget, Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. These priorities include productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling, inclusive human resource development, social justice, manufacturing and services, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation, and next-generation reforms.

Sitharaman introduced an increased standard deduction and revised tax rates for salaried individuals under the new tax regime. A significant set of income-tax reforms were also announced for the fiscal year 2024-25, aimed at simplifying tax laws, promoting compliance, and fostering economic growth. Additionally, she proposed the creation of employment for about 4.1 crore youth over the next five years, allocating Rs 2 lakh crore towards this goal. For skilling citizens to generate job opportunities, she proposed Rs 1.48 lakh crore, aiming to skill 20 lakh youth over a five-year period and upgrade a total of 1,000 industrial training institutes.