New Delhi. Ahead of the Union Budget, the Congress on Friday said that if efforts are not made to eliminate unemployment and reduce economic inequality, then this budget will also be considered a ‘failure’ like the budgets of the last few years. Party spokesperson and head of the social media department Supriya Srinet also claimed that before the budget, the country is facing problems like unemployment, inflation, economic inequality, trade imbalance. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the financial year 2024-25 on July 23.
Supriya told reporters, “On July 23, 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her seventh budget. Before preparing this budget, she has met and discussed with some industrialists, bankers, farmers’ organizations.” She asked, “Has she met those families who are not able to eat three meals a day? Has she met those women who are struggling with inflation? Has she met those farmers who are struggling to get the right price for their crops? Has she met those youth who are harassed by paper leaks? Has she met the real Hindustan?” The Congress spokesperson alleged that it is clear that the Finance Minister has not met these sections and the upcoming budget is being prepared to make a few capitalists richer.
She said that the ‘breaking railing of Gujarat’ (crowd of unemployed) before the budget and the crowd of lakhs for aviation sector jobs in Mumbai expose the false arguments being presented by this government regarding employment. Supriya claimed, “Due to policies like economic mismanagement, demonetization, half-hearted GST and inefficient Covid management, the economy suffered a loss of Rs 11.5 lakh crore. More than 1.5 crore jobs were lost in the country. The share of contract and contractual employees increased from 19 percent in 2013 to 43 percent in 2022.” She said, “Narendra Modi is saying that he has given 8 crore jobs. Where are these jobs?” The Congress leader claimed that today everyone in the country is troubled by the impact of inflation.
She said, “Vegetable prices have increased by more than 30 percent. The rich may not be bothered, but you have made vegetables disappear from the plates of the poor.” Supriya said, “Consumption is 60 percent of our economy. Statistics show that even after reducing prices, FMCG sales have halved in April and May. Cars worth Rs 60 thousand crores are lying unsold. The situation of inflation is such that even those who want to buy a car are not able to buy one.” Referring to the recent train accidents, she asked what steps are being taken regarding railway safety in this budget? Supriya said, “If this budget does not eliminate unemployment and does not bridge the gap of economic inequality, then this budget will be considered a failure like the previous budget.”