Haryana Budget: CM Praises, Opposition Calls 'Disappointing'

Chandigarh, Jul 23 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday hailed the Union Budget and termed it as balanced, all-encompassing, inclusive and development-oriented.

Saini said the Budget will prove to be a milestone in accelerating the standards set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the resolve of 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India).

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25, her seventh straight presentation, and the first Budget during Modi-led government's third term in office.

While Saini hailed the Budget, many senior Congress leaders from Haryana, which goes to polls later this year, termed it as "disappointing".

Reacting to the Budget, Chief Minister Saini said Finance Minister Sitharaman has taken full care of the expectations of the poor welfare and the middle class.

"This Budget is balanced, all-encompassing, inclusive and development-oriented," Saini posted on X in Hindi.

He said the Budget 2024-25 is an economic document for the creation of 'Developed India, self-reliant India'.

The Budget has a resolve for holistic development of all sections of the society including villages, poor, farmers, women, youth, a vision of becoming self-reliant in every field and a road map to free the deprived from deprivation, Saini said.

"Heartfelt gratitude to the respected Prime Minister for this public welfare budget that paves the way to make the 'new India' a 5 trillion dollar economy and the growth engine of the world and hearty congratulations to the Hon'ble Union Finance Minister #BudgetForViksitBharat," Saini further posted.

However, Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP, Kumari Selja, termed the Budget as "disappointing".

"Haryana has been totally neglected. It's such a big disappointment," she said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala also termed the Budget as "disappointing".

Surjewala said there is nothing in it for the farmers, no guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and no relief from debt.

"The price of diesel, pesticides, medicine, fertilisers will not come down. It is just talks and only talks," Surjewala posted in Hindi on X.

There is no way to create new jobs, the unorganised sector does not get even a penny and there is nothing for the labour intensive sectors such as textiles and construction, he claimed.

Surjewala also claimed that there is no mention of the words SC, ST or BC (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Class) in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech.

He alleged that it is obvious that this is a punishment to these sections of the society for not voting in the BJP's favour in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. It is also the anti-SC-ST-BC face of the BJP, he added.

The Congress general secretary also claimed that there is no relief for the middle class and working class for the last 10 years. Neither has the tax exemption slab been increased nor any relief has been given, he said, and added that there is definitely a "take revenge" and "save the government" Budget.

"As Uttar Pradesh defeated them (the BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls, the word UP was removed from the Budget. Maharashtra defeated them and its name was struck off. They lost in Haryana and turned their back on its very existence...," he said.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda said it was a "disappointing Budget". Farmers and the poor, who were looking for relief in this Budget, have not got anything, he said.