A man watches the live telecast of Union Budget in Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Patna: A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday hailed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, claiming it "meets our demand for special assistance, if grant of special status was not possible because of practical difficulties".
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who formerly held the finance portfolio, expressed hope that the budgetary outlay of Rs 26,000 crore would speed up growth "in all sectors".
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union finance minister deserve commendation for understanding and addressing Bihar's concerns in the budget," Chaudhary told reporters on the Vidhan Sabha premises.
"We had been seeking special status for the state. We had also suggested that if practical difficulties came in the way, the state be given special help in some other form. The budget lives up to the expectation," the JD (U) leader said.
He also lashed out at the opposition RJD-Congress-Left combine for creating a ruckus inside the House over the demand for special status "forgetting that the UPA, of which they were a part, had rejected our demand while it was ruling the Centre".
However, senior RJD leader and former minister Kumar Sarvajeet was not impressed with the budget.
"We should have got special status. Only then can we bring about real development, by ensuring that the poorest of the poor have access to facilities like good education, roads and jobs," the RJD leader told PTI Video.
He also scoffed at budgetary promises like the construction of an industrial node at Gaya and development of Nalanda as a tourist centre.
Sarvajeet said, "Announcements in the budget seem to have been made sharing the chief minister's view that building infrastructure automatically leads to growth."
"I represent Bodh Gaya. I had suggested that the Bihar government try roping in the Dalai Lama as the pilgrimage centre's brand ambassador. Other states have reached out to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan. But we never saw the resolve here," the RJD leader alleged.
Union Budget 2024 LIVE | Making a record for any Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 7th consecutive Union Budget on July 23, 2024 under the Modi 3.0 government. This Budget brought tax relief for the middle class, while focusing on jobs through skilling, incentivising employers. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analysis only on Deccan Herald. Also follow us on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.