Raipur, Feb 9 (PTI) The opposition Congress on Friday said the budget presented in the Chhattisgarh Assembly for 2024-25 was disappointing and a continuation of schemes of the previous Bhupesh Baghel government under new names.
Finance Minister OP Choudhary presented a budget of Rs 1,47,446 crore for 2024-25 in the state Assembly. It was the first budget of the Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government, which came to power in December after unseating the Congress regime.
Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Bahgel said the budget has nothing new with only names of schemes being run during his government getting changed.
“How will business and industrialisation be encouraged and how will people get facilities? The budget has nothing about them. There is nothing new. There is nothing about infrastructure. The FM said there will be a 22 percent rise in capital expenditure but they are building only a few colleges and hostels. They are laying railway lines that too for coal transportation for Adani,” Baghel claimed.
“The result of one-and-half hour long budget speech by the finance minister is nil. The FM has just shown ‘sabj bag’ (rosy picture) like Prime Minister Narendra Modi does in Delhi. The budget is only limited to hoardings, advertisements and paper, not on the ground,” he alleged.
Nothing has been done apart from schemes and programmes launched during his government (2018-2023) being renamed, Baghel claimed.
Hailing the budget, CM Sai said it will shape the direction and development of Chhattisgarh for many years to come.
“It is a revenue enhancing budget. There is no new tax proposal nor is there any proposal to increase existing tax rates. The budget will ensure inclusive development of all sections and realise the dream of a developed Chhattisgarh,” he said.
Chhattisgarh will play a leading role in achieving PM Modi’s goal of building a developed India by 2047, Sai said.
BJP national vice president and Rajya Sabha MP Saroj Pandey said glimpses of the plans of the “double engine government” (same ruling party in state and at Centre) can be seen in the first budget of the Sai dispensation.
“A provision of Rs 22,500 crore has been made to encourage infrastructure development, while Rs 30 crore has been allocated for security at airports of the state. A provision of Rs 300 crore has been made to speed up construction of Katghora to Dongargarh rail line,” she said. PTI TKP BNM BNM
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