Union Budget in interest of all: MP CM Yadav; has nothing concerning jobs, I-T relief, says Nath

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday hailed the Union Budget, saying it is in the interest of all, but ex-CM Kamal Nath slammed it over jobs and for not providing any relief concerning the income tax slabs.Citing the interim budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, CM Yadav said nearly 25 crore people have been pulled out of poverty due to the policies of the government under Prime Minister Narendra and it is a big achievement.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday hailed the Union Budget, saying it is in the interest of all, but ex-CM Kamal Nath slammed it over jobs and for not providing any relief concerning the income tax slabs.

Citing the interim budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Nirmala Sitharaman, CM Yadav said nearly 25 crore people have been pulled out of poverty due to the policies of the government under Prime Minister Narendra and it is a big achievement. These policies have helped India emerge as the fourth largest economy in the world and they will also lead to the fulfilment of the PM's dream of taking India to the third spot, said Yadav.

Sitharaman on Thursday presented her sixth straight Budget, ahead of the Parliamentary elections.

She presented a pre-election Budget, which technically is a vote on account and popularly termed an interim Budget to meet the Centre's essential expenditure for the first four months of the new fiscal year that starts in April.

CM Yadav lauded the budget provision of providing 2 crore houses to the poor and the inclusion of Anganwadi and 'ASHA' (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers under the government's flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The chief minister praised the provision of the Rs 75,000 crore interest-free loan for giving a boost to tourism. The sector has an immense potential in MP and will see a turnaround, he said.

He said the decision to develop and expand airports on 517 new routes will prove to be a milestone in the aviation sector.

However, former CM and Congress leader Kamal Nath criticised the budget and said it has "exposed the anti-people face'' of the Modi government. "We were hopeful that the finance minister would inform us about the target of the prime minister to provide 2 crore jobs every year and accordingly whether the aim of giving 20 crore employment (in ten years) during the period has been achieved or not," Nath asked.

The middle class was expecting relief concerning the tax slabs but nothing happened.

He said the Modi government had promised to double farmers' income by 2022, but in the interim Budget for 2024-25, not a single good thing is mentioned in "their (farmers) favour". Also, the budget has nothing for the youth, women, unemployed, farmers and jawans, he claimed.

MP Congress president Jitu Patwari said the "biggest lie of 2024 by the BJP" in the interim budget was that 25 crore people are out of poverty and 80 crore citizens are getting free ration.

Senior BJP leader and state minister for urban administration Kailash Vijayvargiya termed the interim budget focussed on development.

"The interim budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is development-oriented with a focus on India of 2047, when we complete 100 years of the nation's Independence," he said.

Vijayvargiya said that the interim budget is focused on the empowerment of the poor, women, youth and farmers.