Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman said that just like in the past, all states have been allocated funds in the Union Budget 2024-25, and no state has been denied anything. She rejected the opposition’s claim that her Budget speech mentioned only two states — Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, both ruled by the BJP’s key allies. She pointed out that the Centre was required by law to support Andhra Pradesh after its bifurcation in 2014.
“States are receiving allocations as they did in the past… no state has been denied anything. The Act (Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act) requires the Centre to support (the state) in building its capital city and developing the backward regions,” Sitharaman explained.
“Several steps have been taken in the last 10 years and many other steps, as per the Act, which had to be taken have been taken. Yes, we will support the building of the new capital at Amaravati and the Polavaram irrigation project … Polavaram should have been completed by now but there were some technical issues. The state government is seized of the matter.” Sitharaman said.
Responding particularly to the criticism by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sitharaman said, “To the point he raised – that I have not named many states and spoke only about two states… The Congress was in power for a long time. They presented many Budgets and should know that in every Budget, you don’t get an opportunity to name every state of the country.”
