Union Budget instrument to push country into huge debt: Sisodia

 The Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, on Wednesday, came down heavily on the Union Budget 2023-24, claiming that the Budget has been made only to benefit the super-rich in the country and has nothing to offer to the `Aam Aadmi`.

It (the Budget) will only immerse the country into additional debt which may rise up to Rs 15 lakh crore, Sisodia said.

"It is just another `jumla` by the BJP-led Central government. Till 2014, the Central government had a debt of Rs 53 lakh crore. But during the two successive terms of the BJP-led government, the country came under a debt of Rs 150 lakh crore, and this Budget will further immerse the country in additional Rs 15 lakh crore debt," said Sisodia while commenting on the Budget that was presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday.

Sisodia also accused the Central government of throwing rhetorics in every Budget.

"We have listened to many such false promises in the past, like the introduction of bullet trains or the promise of doubling farmers` income or creating 60 lakh jobs. There was no mention of the status of these in the Budget or about future plans for employment creation," he said.

Talking about Delhi`s allocation in the Budget, Sisodia said, "People of Delhi continue to be treated as outcast by the Central government. Despite our repeated requests, Delhi`s share in the Central pool of taxes continues to be frozen at Rs 325 crore for the past two decades. Only Rs 325 crore has been allocated to Delhi, although Delhi contributed Rs 1.78 lakh crore in direct taxes in FY 22."

He added that every state gets a share of 42 per cent from the central pool of taxes, but Delhi`s share has not been increased despite repeated requests. 

"The Centre gives only Rs 611 per person to Delhi from its share of taxes. However, it gives Rs 64,524 cr to Maharashtra (Rs 4,963 per person), Rs 80,183 crore to Madhya Pradesh (Rs 9,216 per person) and Rs 37,252 crore to Karnataka (Rs 5,247 per person). Delhi`s sahre is the lowest across India," Sisodia alleged.

"Whenever the Central government ministers are asked about their work in the field of education, they boast about NEP 2020. It has been three years since the policy was presented. It recommends that the government should spend at least 6 per cent of the budget on education.

"Forget that, the Central government has instead reduced the budget for education. They talk about inclusive growth, but unemployment is not an agenda for them. Today, the unemployment rate in the country has reached 8.3 per cent, and in the urban areas, 10 per cent of people are unemployed," Sisodia said.