Finance Minister Accused of Empty Promises in State Budget Allocations

The Congress accused Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of making false promises to NDA allies in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, citing that most budget announcements will be delayed. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh likened these promises to a 'post-dated cheque on a crashing bank', with funding gaps raising concerns about the actual financial commitment.

The Congress on Tuesday accused Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of deceiving NDA allies in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh with budget announcements unlikely to materialize soon. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the promises as a 'post-dated cheque on a crashing bank'.

In a social media post, Ramesh cited a media report indicating that financial packages for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar may cost the Centre Rs 20,000-30,000 crore, which is significantly less than the allocations suggested in the Budget.

Though the Budget outlined substantial funding commitments for projects in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh pointed to discrepancies in allocation and actual expected spending. He asserted that these inflated promises are a tactic by an unstable government that may not be in power when the time for fund redemption arrives.