Union Minister Kiren Rijiju calls budget 2024 'Dream Budget' with Rs 11 lakh crore capital expenditure

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has termed the Budget 2024 as a 'dream budget' for all sections, particularly youth and women. He highlighted that a capital expenditure of over Rs 11 lakh crore has been allocated. 

Rijiju noted that announcements for Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and the North-East would boost the economy of Eastern India. He described the announcements for skilling and employment generation as historic and appreciated the support schemes for women. 

Rijiju also mentioned that banking services in the northeast have been addressed, ensuring financial mainstreaming of the region. He said that PM Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 is clearly reflected in the budget. 

Rijiju added that criticism from the opposition indicates the budget's quality. 

Also Read: Union Budget 2024-25: Centre pledges flood relief assistance for Assam and other disaster-hit states

He emphasised that all sectors have been covered and the budget is growth-oriented, with tax rebates for the middle class. 

Addressing Bihar's floods, he stated that it is a national issue. Rijiju questioned the opposition's objections to grants given to Andhra Pradesh.

In this budget, the Union Ministry has also proposed for financial inclusion in the northeastern states with the Indian government unveiling plans to set up 100 new branches of India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) across the region. The announcement was made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget presentation for 2024-25.

The expansion is part of a broader initiative to enhance banking access in underserved areas. IPPB, which already boasts crores of accounts and operates through lakhs of branches nationwide, aims to strengthen its presence in the Northeast with these additional facilities.

Sitharaman highlighted the government's commitment to improving financial infrastructure as a crucial step toward ensuring equitable development across all regions. The new branches will provide a range of banking services, further integrating the remote and economically diverse areas of the Northeast into the formal financial system.