New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, facing intense scrutiny from the opposition over the Union Budget, addressed their concerns head-on in the Parliament today. Chief ministers of opposition-ruled states have criticised the budget, claiming it disproportionately favors NDA allies Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.For days, Sitharaman has argued that the budget speech only highlights key points and that all states receive their fair share of funds. Today, she went a step further by referencing budget speeches from the UPA era to support her stance.States missing from Congress budgetI have reviewed Budgets dating back to 2004-05, Sitharaman stated. In 2004-05, 17 states were not named in the budget speech. In 2006-07, 16 states were not mentioned. In 2009, 26 states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were not named. I want to ask the UPA government: did money not go to those statesSitharaman emphasised that the absence of a states name in the budget speech does not mean it receives no funds. It is misleading to suggest otherwise. It pains me that such claims are made. If a state is not mentioned, it does not mean it gets nothing, she asserted.Opposition creating fear, confusionThe finance minister accused the opposition of distorting facts to create fear and confusion. She highlighted the governments efforts to ensure transparency and accountability, noting that ministers regularly visit states to explain budget allocations.Sitharaman countered allegations that social sector and welfare schemes have been neglected by reading out figures from the current and previous budgets. Responding to claims from opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, she pointed to significant increases in budget allocations for critical sectors.Focus on agricultural supportThe Budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare was only Rs 21,934 crore in 2013-2014. However, for 2024-2025, it has increased to Rs 1.23 lakh crore, Sitharaman highlighted, noting a fivefold increase.She further elaborated, More than Rs 3.2 lakh crore have been disbursed to over 11 crore farmers under the PM Kisan scheme since its launch.
