New Delhi: The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in Parliament ahead of the Budget presentation on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2024-25 at 11 am today. The Economic Survey 2023-24 was tabled yesterday in Parliament.
Congress MP Manish Tewari criticised the Economic Survey over the recommendation regarding food inflation.
“The Economic Survey points to the fact that there has been stubborn food inflation. There was a funny recommendation in the Economic Survey that food inflation should be taken out of the ambit while calculating a cut in interest rates. Under those circumstances, it is imperative that the farmers and common, who have been reeling under inflation, have their needs factored in,” Manish Tewari said while speaking to reporters in the Parliament premises.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “The PM through the budget will help the ‘crorepatis’ who are close to him. The middle class and the sincere taxpayers will not get anything except hollow promises.”
Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met in Parliament on Tuesday to approve the Union Budget ahead of its presentation by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
This would mark Sitharaman’s seventh consecutive budget and eclipse the late Moraji Desai’s record of six consecutive budgets, which is likely to focus on changes in the income tax structure and improving the ease of doing business in India.
Addressing the media, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary earlier said that the first Union Budget of the third Modi government will be based on his mantra of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that this budget would accelerate the country’s economic growth.
“The economic growth that happened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this budget and this Budget will further accelerate it. The budget that will be presented today by Nirmala ji will also help our country, which is the fastest-growing economy,” Pralhad Joshi said while speaking to the media on the Parliament premises on Tuesday.
The budget session of Parliament began on July 22 and, according to schedule, will end on August 12.
On Monday, the economic survey presented in Parliament by finance minister Sithraman emphasized the resilience of the Indian economy and its stable post-Covid recovery.
The Survey underscored the government’s commitment to “Nari Shakti” through various legislative measures and provisions aimed at boosting women’s participation in diverse professions.
According to the Economic Survey, the budget for women’s welfare and empowerment schemes has surged by 218.8 per cent, growing from Rs 97,134 crore (BE) in FY14 to Rs 3.10 lakh crore in FY25.
Additionally, the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) has seen a 38.7 per cent increase compared to FY24 BE, with its share in the total Union Budget rising to 6.5 per cent in FY25, the highest since GBS was introduced in FY06.