Nirmala Sitharaman Refutes Budget Allocation Allegations

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman debunked opposition claims that if a state is not named in the Budget speech, it does not receive any budgetary allocation. She emphasized that funds are allocated to all states and highlighted the government's fiscal deficit management. Substantial financial support was confirmed for Jammu & Kashmir.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday refuted claims by opposition leaders that states not named in the Budget speech are deprived of budgetary allocations.

During a Budget debate in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman affirmed that no state was being denied funds, referencing past Budgets under the UPA government which similarly did not mention all states by name.

Responding to opposition remarks that the Budget only favored Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, Sitharaman noted that India’s economy is currently the world's fastest-growing, owing partly to a significant capex push post-pandemic. She also assured compliance with the fiscal deficit trajectory, aiming to reduce the deficit to below 4.5% by 2025-26.

The Budget also allocated Rs 17,000 crore to Jammu & Kashmir, including Rs 12,000 crore for J&K police. “That's the burden we want to take on our shoulders,” she asserted.