Kolkata
CM Mamata Banerjee sharply criticized the Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday, describing it as politically motivated, lacking direction, and harmful to the public. She labeled the Budget as directionless, anti-people, and devoid of vision, and accused it of serving only political interests rather than addressing the needs of the common people.
Banerjee further alleged that the Budget was anti-poor and showed clear political bias. She expressed disappointment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for failing to fulfill its election promises, highlighting neglect of areas like Darjeeling and Kalimpong. She emphasized that while Sikkim may receive attention, Darjeeling continues to be overlooked, which she finds unjust.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her seventh consecutive Union Budget, setting a record for the most consecutive budgets by a finance minister. The Budget focuses on nine key priorities, including boosting agricultural productivity, creating employment opportunities, improving skilling, and advancing infrastructure and innovation. Key proposals include increased standard deductions and revised tax rates for salaried individuals, aimed at simplifying the tax system and encouraging economic growth.
The Finance Minister has allocated Rs 2 lakh crore to create jobs for 4.1 crore youth over the next five years and proposed Rs 1.48 crore for skill development, aiming to train 20 lakh youth and upgrade 1,000 industrial training institutes.
