New Delhi: The union budget 2024 has come under heavy criticism for completely ignoring the Northeast state of Manipur.
The presentation of the first budget of the Narendra Modi government’s third term by union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday (July 23) has sparked criticism for failing to address the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur.
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Lok Sabha MP from Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, voiced his dissatisfaction, highlighting the omission.
“Absence thy name is Manipur, that’s the budget speak! Nothing on flood and rehabilitation package for IDPs in the state,” Manipur MP Akoijam said.
In the union budget 2024, under “Irrigation and Flood Mitigation”, the union finance minister mentioned the floods that had occurred in Bihar, Assam, Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand and Sikkim, and announced the Centre’s assurance to provide assistance to these states.
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However, there was no mention of the devastating floods that affected strife-torn Manipur.
The absence of any dedicated package for Manipur’s IDPs in the budget presentation, which marks Sitharaman’s seventh consecutive budget, has drawn considerable criticism.
Bimol Akoijam, who recently gained attention for his maiden speech in Parliament addressing the Manipur crisis, expressed his disappointment over the exclusion of Manipur from the financial aid and rehabilitation plans laid out in the budget.
The omission has raised concerns among the affected communities in Manipur, who are struggling with the aftermath of floods and ongoing conflicts.