NDA gave handouts to Andhra, Bihar in Budget due to poll losses: TMC's Saugata Roy

Speaking during the debate on the Budget 2024, Saugata Roy said, "A budget is supposed to present the future plans of the government, but this is a budget which is called AB Budget Andhra-Bihar. They have allotted Rs 59 thousand crore to Bihar, Rs 15 thousand crore to Andhra Pradesh for a new capital."

He claimed that the BJP-led NDA alliance was giving handouts to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar due to electoral losses in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election. He described the Central Government as fragile, like glass, suggesting it could break at any moment.

"Earlier, they didn't give any direct handouts to any section of society. The trigger why the budget has changed course is due to the BJP's electoral reverses. Where there is a government without a majority, Abhishek called it a shaky government. I would call it a brittle government; just like glass, it may break at any time," he said.

"At least three Congress Chief Ministers, one Punjab Chief Minister, and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister have opposed the budget and of course our West Bengal Chief Minister has called this budget an exercise to save the government. She also said that the budget gave zero to West Bengal. Kerala Chief Minister has also opposed the budget," he added.

Roy claimed that the budget is a copy-and-paste job, taken from Congress' Nyay Patra.

"This budget speech, I read it carefully several times, it's a copy-and-paste job... They have taken it from Congress' Nyay Patra," he said.

The TMC MP also said that the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy reported that the unemployment rate reached 9.2 per cent in June 2024, with female unemployment exceeding the national average at 18.5 per cent.

"According to data from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy, the unemployment rate rose to an eight-month high of 9.2 per cent in June 2024. The female unemployment rate was higher than the national average of 18.5 per cent in June 2024. Now we have been doing very poorly in terms of employment generation," he said.

He further said that the second problem the country faces is rising inflation, adding that the inflation rate in India rose to 5.08 per cent in June 2024.

"The second big problem in Indian economy is rising inflation. The annual consumer inflation rate in India rose to 5.08 per cent in June 2024, well above market expectations. Prices accelerated steeply for food, 9.36 per cent, which is responsible for nearly half of the weight of Indian consumer basket," he said.

"One company did a study and they found that in 2024-25, 34 per cent of households reported that they are finding it difficult to manage their expenses, indicating a third of India is still under severe financial stress," he added. (ANI)