BHUBANESWAR: Congress on Wednesday termed Union Budget 2023-24 highly disappointing as it does not have any announcement for the poor and unemployed youths.
President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak said the drastic cut in allocation for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from Rs 89,400 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 60,000 crore in 2023-24 proves that the Centre no longer wants to guarantee 100 days work for the poor in rural areas.
Pattanayak said the allocation for the health sector is disappointing and is only 0.25 per cent of the total budget. He asked how can this ensure improved health service for the rural poor. There has also been a reduction in allocation for the Rural Development ministry by Rs 5,113 crore from Rs 2,43,317 crore in 2022-23.
Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra appreciated the enhanced funds for capital investment and railways. But he questioned the commitment of the Centre to spend what is allocated in the budget. Stating that the increase in allocation is meant to fool people, the CLP leader alleged the budget does not have any specific announcement for the poor while forgetting the fact that they comprise a vast section of the country.
Stating that no step has been announced in the budget to reduce unemployment which increased during the Covid pandemic, the CLP leader alleged there is no move for controlling price rise as well.