Union Budget has nothing for the people of Nagaland, Cong alleges

February 2, 2023 48 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 2

Sujata Paul, All India Congress Committee (AICC), Media Coordinator alleged that the 2023-24 Union Budget, presented on the floor of the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, had nothing for the people of Nagaland. Terming it as a useless budget, she claimed it was filled with ‘fakery and falsities.’

Paul made the comments during a press briefing organised by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), at Hotel Acacia, Dimapur today, after the announcement of Union budget and criticising the Central government and the Neiphiu Rio-led government in the State. In particular, she condemned the lack of a special package for Nagaland in regards to the condition of roads, power supply, irrigation, drinking water facilities, health care, sports and education. “It is really sad that this budget has nothing.”

Paul also mentioned that during the pandemic period, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was the lifeline providing jobs to the people. However, the government has slashed the fund allocation for the rural job guarantee schemeby 30 per cent to Rs 61,032.65 crore for 2023-24. “That itself shows that the government does not care for the people and they have a government in Nagaland which does not care either,” she alleged.

Bringing attention to the Development for North East Region (DoNER) Paul stated that there was a misconception that the Union budget has anything to do with DoNER. “It has a separate minister and department so funds will always come,” she said. However, the issue at hand was that funds do not directly reach the state, she said, insisting that they were being diverted somewhere else instead.

Moreover, from 2004 to 2018, the per capita income of every Indian was rising by 13.1% but from 2014 to 2023, it has only risen by 9.1%, Paul asserted. Along with this, the 6.1 % economic growth rate of the country has not been able to facilitate the burgeoning unemployment rate of the country.

The party also lambasted the Rio-led government for operating under the slogan of “Change is coming,” yet the State has not received any of the changes that were promised. “All of us are waiting to see what their slogan is going to be but has changed really come?” she questioned.

The state has no proper schools, road connectivity; drinking water facility particularly for the poor and has not provided anything for the youths, the party purported. “The fact is that this government has failed the people of the State.”

“As you leave the urban areas, you can see that the infrastructure has completely crumpled in the rural areas,” Temjenyanger Longkumer, PCC Secretary, NPCC purported. “This govt has emphasized on the word special and that on their road to power they will provide change…but nothing has changed,” he added. He further claimed that whatever infrastructure was already in the State had been built during the Congress era. As such, he appealed to the people not to be taken for a ride and realize the bamboozlement that the current government has made to them.