Amid ongoing criticism from the Opposition regarding the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the concerns head-on in Parliament. The Opposition, particularly chief ministers from States not aligned with the NDA, had accused the government of favouring Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, suggesting that these States received disproportionate benefits.
To counter these claims, Sitharaman presented a historical perspective, referencing budget speeches from the UPA era to illustrate that similar situations had occurred in the past. “I have reviewed budgets from as far back as 2004-05. In 2004-05, at least 17 States were not mentioned in the budget speech. In 2006-07, it was 16 States. In 2009, 26 States, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were left out,” she stated. She questioned, “Did this mean that funds were not allocated to these states?”
Sitharaman argued that the absence of a State’s name in the budget speech does not equate to a lack of funding. “It is misleading to suggest that if a State isn’t mentioned, it receives nothing. Such distortions only serve to create unnecessary fear and confusion,” she added.
In response to allegations of neglect in social sector and welfare schemes, the Finance Minister provided comparative figures to demonstrate increased allocations. She highlighted a significant rise in the budget for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, from ₹21,934 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1.23 lakh crore in 2024-25.
“This is a five-fold increase. Additionally, over ₹3.2 lakh crore have been disbursed to more than 11 crore farmers under the PM Kisan scheme since its inception,” Sitharaman explained.
The Minister’s rebuttal came in the wake of strong criticisms from Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who had pointed out various areas of the budget he deemed inadequate, including issues like paper leaks and the lack of a caste census.
