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Pawan Bansal's vehement response to the budget: it contains only hollow promises and does not include any funding for Chandigarh
Feb 2, 2024

"This government works for the rich, by the rich, and only for the rich."
"The government has no plan to eliminate the increasing unemployment."

On Thursday, Pawan Bansal, a prominent Congressman and former Union Minister, voiced his disgust, calling Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's interim budget "a joke" that offers little to the country's average citizen. Speaking to the nation's most pressing problem, increasing unemployment. Pawan Bansal stated that, at present, the nation's young unemployment rate for those under 25 is 42.3%, with Chandigarh having the lowest rate at 0.38%—the worst condition to date. The BJP's budget, however, makes no mention of this problem or how to fix it. He emphasized that the 100 days of labour that were available under the MGNREGA during the UPA had been cut to just 48 days.

The nation's female finance minister notably omitted topics that are important to women, such as pay parity and the rise in crimes against them. After reaching 30% in 2005, the percentage of women in the labour force has recently dropped to 24%; however, the government has not offered an explanation for this dip.

Right now, the inflation rate for food items is 7.7% and it's still rising. Essential food goods are subject to a GST range of 5–18% imposed by the government. In an instance like this, it is now impossible for the average person or a labourer to provide for their family in such a situation.
The government says it will double farmers' income, but it hasn't offered a plan, raised the MSP, or broadened its limitations. Additionally, there is no rise in the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme's amount.

"There is an 18 lakh crore budget shortfall for the current fiscal year. In the next year, it will rise. This indicates unequivocally that borrowing is how the government pays for its expenses. Only the rich can operate this government—it is run by and for the rich. Ten per cent of the population in this country owns sixty per cent of the country's wealth, and this government is purposefully disregarding the fact that the income disparity has been widening over the past ten years."
"In the entire budget, the Finance Minister has used the words 'tax' and 'Modi' 42 times but the word 'job' only once, which shows what is the priority for government."