'Sarkar Bachao Budget': Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sitharaman's huge bonanza for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar

Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has criticised the Budget 2024 as it has massive announcements for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, calling it "Sarkar Bachao" Budget. Andhra and Bihar are being ruled by NDA allies TDP and JDU, respectively. Both allies are critical for the survival of the Modi government at the Centre.     

Badal said the budget was tailor-made for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar while she said there was nothing for Punjab. "Union budget 2024 will go down as a “Sarkar Bachao” budget which was tailor-made for two NDA allies in Bihar & Andhra Pradesh even as farmers, poor, and youth across the country were ignored," Badal said.  

"There is nothing for Punjab in the sixth continuous budget since Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) exited the NDA alliance and govt. Those who joined the BJP to further their own interests in the name of “solving Punjab’s issues” must now answer why the State is facing consistent discrimination at the hands of the Centre," she said. 

During her budget presentation, Sitharaman said the Centre would facilitate special financial support for Andhra Pradesh. In the current financial year, she said, Rs 15,000 crore will be arranged, with additional amounts in future years. She also said the Centre was fully committed to financing and early completion of the Polavaram Irrigation Project. 

For promoting industrial development, she said, funds will be provided for essential infrastructure such as water, power, railways and roads in the Kopparthy node on the Vishakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor and Orvakal node on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. She also announced grants for backward regions of Rayalaseema, Prakasam and North Coastal Andhra. 

For Bihar, Sitharaman announced an industrial nod at Gaya. On the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor, she said, the Centre will support the development of an industrial nod at Gaya in Bihar. "We will also support the development of road connectivity projects- Patna -Purnea expressway, Buxar- Bhagalpur highway, Bodhgaya- Rajgir-Vaishali- Darbhanga, and an additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga in Buxar for Rs 26,000 crores."  

Sitharaman also announced the redevelopment of iconic temples in Bihar. She said comprehensive development of the Vishnupad Temple Corridor and Mahabodhi Temple Corridor will be supported, modelled on the successful Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor