Tripura LoP slams Union Budget as pro-corporate, fails to address job creation and inequality

Tripura’s Leader of Opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury, has criticized the Union Budget for 2024-25, labeling it as pro-corporate and alleging that it primarily benefits large businesses. Chaudhury, who is also a CPIM MLA, expressed disappointment with the budget’s focus, asserting that it does little to address pressing issues such as job creation and rural inequalities.

“While I haven’t had the chance to review the budget in detail, initial reports and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speeches indicate that there are no significant changes from previous budgets,” Chaudhury said. He highlighted that the budget lacks specific measures for job creation or solutions for the shrinking job opportunities across various sectors.

Chaudhury criticized the absence of proposals for public sector job creation, noting that subsidies are being provided for single jobs created by the private sector instead. “This budget continues the trend of benefiting corporates rather than addressing the real issues faced by the poor,” he added.

He further pointed out the lack of substantial increases in allocations for programs like MNREGA, agriculture, and food subsidies. “In rural areas, there is a severe crisis of jobs and food. The inequality between the rich and poor is growing, and there is no significant support for underprivileged sections such as ST and SC communities,” Chaudhury concluded. He described the budget as “anti-poor, anti-people, and pro-corporate,” criticizing it as a missed opportunity for genuine reform under the banner of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).