Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 14 – DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Friday praised the Tamil Nadu state budget for being people-friendly, with a particular focus on the welfare of people living in rural areas, youth, and women. Siva highlighted that the budget prioritizes the development of the state and the overall well-being of its citizens.
In an interaction with ANI, Tiruchi Siva stated, “The budget is people-friendly and focuses on the people living in rural areas, youth, and women. It also focuses on the development of the state and the welfare of the public.” He went on to emphasize that Tamil Nadu ranks first in the industry and education sectors, with a special focus on schools and higher education.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan sharply criticized the DMK government, calling the budget “failed and empty.” She claimed that the government’s only priority was changing the logo of the state budget, rather than improving the lives of the people of Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to ANI, Soundarajan said, “This is a failed and empty budget. The State government’s only aim was to change the logo of the State budget and not to change the fate of the people of Tamil Nadu.” She also accused the government of shifting focus to language issues, like delimitation, rather than addressing the people’s livelihood concerns. Soundarajan further pointed out that the budget lacked adequate funding for women’s safety and criticized the government’s failure to fulfill promises such as providing Rs 100 for gas. She also questioned the allocation of funds for 3,000 new buses, stating, “Where are the new buses?”
Soundarajan highlighted economic surveys showing a lack of growth in the southern states despite four years of DMK governance, attributing any national economic growth to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “There is growth in the rest of the country only because of the efforts of the Prime Minister, but the Economic Survey shows a lack of growth in the Southern districts despite the four years of rule by the DMK government,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, while presenting the 2025-26 state budget, noted that central transfers from the Union Government in the form of grants-in-aid and taxes have significantly reduced. However, he praised the state’s own revenue growth, attributing it to the efforts of the state government.