Thackeray also accused the Centre of looting Maharashtra by installing a "corrupt regime" and then through taxes
Aaditya Thackeray. File Photo
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday said Maharashtra was not mentioned even once by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget 2024 speech, and alleged bias against the state despite being the largest taxpayer.
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In a post on X, Thackeray also accused the Centre of looting Maharashtra by installing a "corrupt regime" and then through taxes.
"I can understand the BJP wanting to save its government and giving Bihar and Andhra Pradesh a huge sum of the budget. But what is Maharashtra's fault? That we are the largest taxpayer? What did we get against what we contributed?"
"Was Maharashtra mentioned even once in the budget? Why does the BJP hate and insult Maharashtra so much? This isn't the first time, through the entire past decade of BJP's government, we have seen this bias against Maharashtra," Thackeray claimed.
While presenting the Union Budget 2024, Sitharaman announced Rs 15,000 crore for the development of Andhra Pradesh's capital city, addressing long-standing commitments under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act.
The Centre also proposed an outlay of Rs 26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar. Sitharaman said the Union government will arrange financial assistance to Bihar through aid from multilateral development agencies.
The announcement covers human resource development, infrastructure and the generation of economic opportunities to make the eastern region of the country covering Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh an engine to attain Viksit Bharat.
In her Budget speech in Parliament, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "On the Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor we will support the development of an industrial nod at Gaya in Bihar. We will also support the construction of road connectivity projects namely Patna-Purnia Expressway, Buxar-Bagalpur Expressway, Bodhgaya-Rajgir-Vaishali-Darbanga and an additional two-lane bridge over river Ganga at Buxar at a total cost of Rs 26,000 cr."
"Power projects, including setting up of a new 2400 megawatt power plant at Pirpainti, will be taken up at a cost of Rs 21400 crore," she added.
The Finance Minister said that new airports, medical colleges and sports infrastructure in Bihar will be constructed. An additional allocation to support capital investments will be provided, she said.
She emphasised that the requests of the Bihar government for external assistance from multi-lateral development banks will be expedited. The FM also announce an allocation of Rs 11500 crore or flood control measures in Bihar. Funds have also been provided for developing the Temple corridors in the iconic temples in NIhar. The Kashi Model will be implemented in Bodh Gaya. Special funds have also been provided for the Rajgir Jain Temple site.
Andhra Pradesh also benefited from the Union Budget 2024-25 as the Finance Minister announced special financial support to the state, recognising the state's need for capital.
"Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act- Our govt has made efforts to fulfil the commitments in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. Recognising the state's need for capital, we will facilitate special financial support through multilateral agencies," Sitharaman said.
"In the current FY, Rs 15,000 crore will be arranged with additional amounts in future years," she added.
The Finance Minister is presenting the first Union Budget of the Modi 3.0 government and her seventh consecutive one during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The budget session of Parliament began on July 22 and, according to schedule, will end on August 12.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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