Budget has nothing to address economy’s ‘illnesses’: Cong

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The Congress Saturday said the Union Budget has nothing to address the “illnesses” of stagnant real wages, lack of buoyancy in mass consumption, sluggish rates of private investment and a complicated GST system that the economy is suffering from.

It also took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government over its budget announcements, asking that while Bihar appears to have got a bonanza, why the other pillar of the NDA, Andhra Pradesh, has been so “cruelly ignored”.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The economy is suffering from four related crises — stagnant real wages, lack of buoyancy in mass consumption, sluggish rates of private investment, complex and complicated GST system.”

“The Budget does nothing to address these illnesses. The only relief has been for income tax payers. What actual impact this will have on the economy remains to be seen,” he said on X.

Taking a swipe at the Centre over the Union Budget, the Congress also said while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke of four engines of development, the Budget was “completely derailed”.

In her Saturday budget speech, Sitharaman said agriculture, MSME, investments and exports are the four power engines of development.

Ramesh said, “The FM spoke of four engines: Agriculture, MSMEs, Investment, and Exports. So many engines that the Budget has been completely derailed.”

In another post, he said, “The BJP led by Arun Jaitley successfully sabotaged the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, that international companies wanted when Dr Manmohan Singh was PM. Now to appease Mr Trump, the FM announces that the Act will be amended.”

Bihar remained in focus in the presentation of the Union Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal with Sitharaman making several announcements for the state, including setting up of a Makhana Board, financial support for western Kosi canal and support for enhancing capacity of IIT Patna.

Presenting her record eighth Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, the finance minister also announced that the Centre will establish a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar and also facilitate greenfield airports there to meet the future needs of the state.

Ramesh said Bihar appears to have got a bonanza of announcements.

“It is natural since elections are due there later in the year. But why is (has) the other pillar of the NDA, namely Andhra Pradesh, been so cruelly ignored?” Ramesh posed on X in an apparent reference to BJP allies JD(U) from Bihar and TDP from Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress leader also hit out at the government over announcements related to nutritional support programmes like Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.

“The Finance Minister has announced the revision of cost norms in Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 — after many years of turning down this demand. The FM has however not extended this announcement to — inclusion of breakfast in schools; provision of a glass of milk, as is done in Karnataka through the Ksheera Bhagya Scheme; upward revision in the honorarium given to Anganwadi workers,” he said.

“The Union Education and WCD ministries themselves have been pushing for these proposals for years, only to be turned down by the finance ministry. What kind of investment in people is the finance minister envisioning without these basic provisions?” Ramesh said.

Sitharaman announced that cost norms for nutritional support programmes like Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will be enhanced in the Union Budget 2025-26.

She said Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programmes provide nutritional support to over 8 crore children, 1 crore pregnant and lactating women, and 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and the northeast region.

The Congress also attacked the Union government over its announcements in the Budget pertaining to the agriculture sector, saying the Finance Minister was “completely silent” on the demands of farmers, including MSP as a legal guarantee and farm loan waiver.

Hitting out at the government, Ramesh said in a post on X, “The FM starts with agriculture but is completely silent on the demands of farmers and the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture — MSP as a legal guarantee, farm loan waiver, inflation indexation of PM Kisan payouts and reforms to PM Fasal Bima Yojana.”

In another post, he said, “Make in India that had become Fake in India now has a new name: National Manufacturing Mission.”