Union Budget ignores Manipur, NE states: CPI-M
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 24 2024: CPI-M Manipur state secretariat said that the Union Budget-2024-25 presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharam in Parliament on Wednesday ignored the North East states and reduction of expenditures.

According to CPI-M Manipur secretary Ksh Shanta, the Union Budget ignored the North Eastern states particularly the strife torn Manipur.

More than 60,000 people are still languishing in relief camps across Manipur since the eruption of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023 but the budget did not reflect the suffering of the people.

Budget allocation for development in the NE increased by only Rs 8 crore from the previous budget and this indeed is too meagre, he said and expressed regret over undermining interest of the NE states in the budget.

While observing that the budget would trigger unemployment, hike prices of essential commodities, increase the gap between poor and rich and slow private investment, Ksh Shanta said it would have been better had the budget aimed at widening economic activities.

He said that budget would compound suffering of the people of the North East including Manipur and stall investment in the region.

This budget would decrease job opportunities to workers and unemployed youth, he opined.

Though the budget emphasises on skill development of youth, this would not solve the problem of unemployment in the country as only 18 percent of the youth were trained under skill promotion schemes from 2016 to 2022 got jobs, he said adding that there would be no opportunities for jobs unless widening economic activities.

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