Union Budget 2024: Yashwant Sinha on Inflation, Growth & Poverty

Hazaribagh, Jul 18 (PTI) Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday said the Union Budget should focus on taming inflation and accelerating economic growth.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on July 23.

Talking to PTI Videos, Sinha emphasised that GDP should grow at 8 per cent to eradicate poverty in the country.

"Budget should talk about addressing the issues of inflation and accelerating growth," said Sinha who was finance minister in the Vajpayee government.

Sinha also questioned the Modi government's claim of bringing 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years by saying, "The question is that if there are only 5 crore poor why are we giving free food to 82 crore people and this is a major contradiction."

He further said the Budget should focus on reducing government spending which in turn will reduce the Centre's market borrowings.

Sinha said that the opposition parties are continuously raising issues related to unemployment.