Budget disappointing for common people, discriminatory towards non-BJP states: Opposition

On the second day of discussion on the central budget on Tuesday, the opposition alleged that the budget was disappointing for farmers, the poor, and other needy classes, and that non-BJP ruled states were being ignored, while the ruling party termed it as a significant step towards a vibrant India. During the discussion, opposition members expressed concern over the increase in government debt in the country and the decline in opportunities for permanent and standard employment, and said that the budget was discriminatory towards opposition-ruled states.

The discussion began with Congress's Pramod Tiwari and several other members trying to raise a point of order, which was rejected by Deputy Chairman Harivansh. Initiating the second day's general discussion on the 2026-27 budget, Shiv Sena's Milind Deora said that this budget has been presented at a time when the world is going through the most unstable period after the Second World War. He stated that despite this political and economic turmoil, India has emerged as a center of broad economic growth and stability.

He emphasized that industries should work with the government to promote investment, speed, and innovation. Responding to criticism from P Chidambaram, he said that in 2024, private investment reached Rs 6.5 lakh crore, which is 66% higher than in 2021. He alleged that the previous government had forgotten the manufacturing sector, while the current government has created 12 lakh jobs through the production-linked incentive scheme. He further said that the Modi government has made it easier to do business through the 'Jan Vishwas Act'.

He said that during the previous government's tenure, doing business had become difficult due to strict laws related to money laundering, while the current government has made the business environment easier by abolishing over a thousand provisions of imprisonment through the Jan Vishwas Act. Criticizing those who call the Indian economy "weak", he said that India is the fastest-growing economy in the world, with 75 crore digital transactions taking place daily through UPI, 50 crore bank accounts opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana, and GST revenue increasing from Rs 11 lakh crore to Rs 22 lakh crore in four years.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kanimozhi NVN of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) termed the budget as "aimless" and said that it has nothing for farmers, the poor, and the needy classes. She alleged that important states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal have been ignored, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have been given preference. According to her, the budget also fails to meet the standards of fiscal discipline as a large portion of the debt is being spent on debt repayment.

BJP's Suresh Kumar Nager termed the budget as a step that shows the way for the country's development. He said that India has become the fourth-largest economy in the world today. According to him, in 2014, India's economy was at the 10th position and has made significant progress since then. Congress's Niranjan Jyoti criticized the budget, saying that it has the sparkle of statistics but does not take any concrete steps to improve the life of the common man.

He referred to the 2300-point decline in the Sensex on the day of the budget and said that the budget has not met the expectations of investors, markets, and the public. According to him, despite an increase in government capital expenditure, there has been no increase in opportunities for permanent employment, and people are being forced to take up temporary jobs. He said that Rajasthan has also not got a significant share in the budget, where about 3200 primary schools are running without buildings.

He alleged that the state's share in central resources has decreased from 6.03% to 5.9%. Trinamool Congress's Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget is like the Charvaka philosophy, i.e., borrowing and spending. He said that common people have not got any relief, and inequality in the country has increased. He also criticized the proposal to give tax exemptions to foreign companies in some sectors till 2027 and said that no relief has been given to individual income tax payers this time.

He said that 65% of the country's resources are controlled by just 10% of the people, while 90% of the population has only 35% of the resources. If increasing inequality is not addressed, the country may face instability. Rashtriya Janata Dal's Professor Manoj Jha said that the government is claiming rapid economic growth, but it is not seeing how fast unemployment is increasing. Referring to income inequality, he said that this situation is taking the country towards a volcano.

The member of parliament said that according to Article 39 of the Constitution, the budget should be comprehensive, but the current budget does not meet this standard. Referring to the increasing number of gig workers in the economy, he said that no effective measures are being taken for their welfare. He also raised the issue of granting special state status to Bihar. YSRCP's M Raghunath Reddy supported the budget but also pointed out that despite an increase in income tax collection, the government has not taken any concrete steps in the budget to provide relief to common people from inflation.

Biju Janata Dal's Mans Ranjan Mangaraj said that there is no provision in the budget to provide special assistance to Odisha. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Sarfaraz Ahmed termed the budget as highly complicated, saying that both the giver and the taker are confused as nothing is clear in it. He said that the budget is just a game of numbers, such as saying that so many AIIMS have been opened, but no one checks whether there are doctors there or not. The member also raised the issue of payment of dues to Jharkhand.

Independent member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said that this budget is against farmers, women, and laborers. He said that unemployment is continuously increasing in the country, but no effective arrangements have been made in the budget to increase employment opportunities. BJP's Sukhender Kumar said that the budget has given relief to all sections. He said that after 2014, facilities like AIIMS, Indian Institute of Management, and technical institutions have been provided in Himachal Pradesh.

Congress's J M Hashmi said that the budget has not presented a solution to the challenges mentioned in the economic survey. He said that in the budget, only words like sankalp, kartavya, and siddhi are heard, but there is no mention of increasing employment, capital expenditure, or empowering farmers and youth. He questioned whether the trade agreement with the US is really a glorious agreement. He alleged that Kerala has been completely ignored in the budget.

Biju Janata Dal's Subhashish Khuntia said that under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, the state government was taking the state forward with one engine, but now, despite having two engines, Odisha is moving in the opposite direction of development. He said that Odisha is still waiting for special state status.