Parliament Session Highlights: Chidambaram in RS asks 'Why no mention of Tamil Nadu in Budget speech?
- Parliament Session Highlights: The Congress has alleged that the budget had "blacked out" states where there are non-BJP governments.
Parliament Session Highlights: Members of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday protested in Parliament over the "discrimination" against the opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. ...Read More
The Congress has alleged that the budget had "blacked out" states where there are non-BJP governments. It also alleged that non-BJP-ruled states were not even mentioned in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech.
Sitharaman, however, responded to the charge by saying that it is not possible to name every state of this country
On Tuesday, Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2024-25 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Sitharaman became the first finance minister to present seven consecutive budget speeches, surpassing former prime minister Morarji Desai's record of six consecutive budgets as finance minister between 1959 and 1964.
Also Read | Union Budget 2024: Top 5 takeaways for salaried persons, job seekers
In her seventh record Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. These included productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling and services.
"India's economic growth continues to be the shining exception (in a world that is gripped by policy uncertainties) and will remain so in the years ahead," Sitharaman said while presenting the Budget in the Parliament. "In this budget, we particularly focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class."
Among some of the key announcements made in the Budget are:
- In the budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an increase in the standard deduction for salaried employees from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 under the new income tax regime – an increase of 50%.
- The government has also announced relaxation in the income tax slabs under the new tax regiment for the current fiscal year. See the revised tax rates here.
- In her Budget speech, Sitharaman also announced that the government will provide a one-month wage to all persons newly entering the workplace in all formal sectors. This, the finance minister said, the government will directly transfer the amount to the employees as their provident fund contribution.
- The Centre has also made an attempt to keep its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners and core supporters happy by ensuring that the Union Budget had something for the allies, critical for the stability of the government, and for four segments—poor, farmers, women and the youth — that are key for electoral success.
- Andhra Pradesh was allocated ₹15,000 crore for building its capital Amaravati, and a commitment to the completion of Polavaram irrigation project; Bihar secured ₹26,000 crore allocation for road connectivity projects, new airports and sports infrastructure. The state will also get ₹11,500 crore for flood mitigation projects.
The Budget session, which began on July 22, will have 19 sittings till August 12 when the government is expected to present six Bills, including the one to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, and also get Parliament's nod for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under central rule.
Follow all the updates here:
- Jul 24, 2024 08:11 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Both Houses adjourned till 11 am tomorrow
Parliament Session LIVE: Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow.
- Jul 24, 2024 07:25 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Cong MP Shashi Tharoor on funds allocation to Bihar in Budget 2024
Parliament Session LIVE: On funds allocation to Bihar in the Union Budget 2024 Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “The discrimination point was only one of many. In my case, I had 22 minutes worth of arguments, so I'm not limiting it to just one issue. However, on that specific point, there is no doubt that the overall benefits given to the two states were clearly politically motivated. When Bihar receives ₹26,000 Crores for highways and Karnataka doesn't even get ₹2,000 Crores for Bengaluru's road and tunnel infrastructure, it indicates a different approach. NDA states receive funds for calamity relief, while INDIA government states get nothing. This is a political budget, but one could argue that most budgets are political, so it's not surprising. Still, it's worth highlighting.”
- Jul 24, 2024 07:02 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Oppn boycotting NITI Aayog meeting
Parliament Session LIVE: On Opposition boycotting NITI Aayog meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal remarked, “The opposition has once again displayed their negative attitude towards the Indian democratic system. NITI Aayog is a crucial institution within this federal structure that formulates new policies and reviews existing ones. Unfortunately, some political parties are considering boycotting its meeting, which reveals how their personal politics outweigh their concern for the nation. Sometimes, it seems they prioritize publicity over public service. They claim that some states haven’t received adequate funding in the budget. Either they are not reading the budget properly or they choose not to read it.”
- Jul 24, 2024 06:00 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘Budget has got something for each state,’ says BJP MP Manoj Tiwari
Parliament Session LIVE: Regarding the Union Budget 2024, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “The Budget is exceptionally balanced and offers benefits to every community and state in the country; it addresses the needs of the youth, 4 crore employees, and includes provisions for Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the northeast. Despite this, the Opposition seems unsure of how to criticize it. Rahul Gandhi's remarks yesterday, labelling it a 'Sarkar Bachao Budget,' actually highlight its strengths. If the Budget supports the government, it signifies its effectiveness. If you’re unhappy with that, there's nothing we can do about it.”
- Jul 24, 2024 05:43 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee hits out at BJP-led Centre
Parliament Session LIVE: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slammed the Centre at the Parliament on Wednesday, saying, “When and how much did they (BJP) give money to Bengal for 100 days work and housing scheme? If they can prove even for 10 paise, I will quit politics. I have said thousands of times that they should bring a white paper and say whether they have given even 10 paise to Bengal in these three financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24.”
- Jul 24, 2024 04:57 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘It is a Budget which is indicative of the coalition compulsions,’ says Cong MP Manish Tewari
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress MP Manish Tewari responded to the Opposition's claims of discrimination in the Union Budget 2024, saying, “If there is no discrimination in the Budget, I might need to revisit the definition of 'discrimination' in the dictionary. This Budget clearly reflects the coalition pressures faced by the current NDA government. As I mentioned yesterday, the English proverb 'the tail is wagging the dog' is quite evident when you examine the Budget.”
- Jul 24, 2024 04:31 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘PM Modi can take good advice from MK Stalin,’ says DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran in LS
Parliament Session LIVE: In the Lok Sabha, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran said, “I believe it's time for the PM to seek and follow good advice from our CM MK Stalin. When MK Stalin assumed the role of CM of Tamil Nadu, he pledged to work not just for those who voted for him but also for those who did not, seeing it as his duty. Today, however, the PM seems to be working only for the parties that support him, rather than for everyone who voted for his party.”
- Jul 24, 2024 04:18 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Union Budget 2024
Parliament Session LIVE: BJP leader Manoj Tiwari, speaking about the Union Budget 2024, said, “Till now, a budget of around 1.5 lakh crore has been allocated to Delhi. For the first time, it was announced to provide houses to the poor in urban areas—shouldn't Delhi be included? Since the AAP government took office, a budget of 6.5 lakh crore has been provided. Yet, people still face issues with inadequate water supply, deteriorating streets, and halted pensions. We will release a white paper on the poor state of Delhi.”
- Jul 24, 2024 03:55 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Over 12,000 complaints filed through PMO's public grievance portal pending, says govt in LS
Parliament Session LIVE: On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha was informed that over 12,000 complaints related to central government departments, filed through the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) public grievance portal, remain pending.
In a written response, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh explained that the portal, available at https://www.pmindia.gov.in, serves as a centralized platform for registering grievances concerning central ministries or departments, as well as state and Union territories.
He noted that complaints submitted via the portal can be tracked using a unique registration ID provided when filing. The grievances are addressed by the relevant ministries, departments, states, and Union territories in a decentralised manner, with most being resolved within 30 days.
- Jul 24, 2024 03:31 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘Rahul Gandhi is provoking farmers,’ says Union minister Bhagirath Choudhary
Parliament Session LIVE: Union minister Bhagirath Choudhary speaking about Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the farmer leaders, says, “The people of the country are acknowledging that PM Modi has dedicated his third term to supporting farmers. The first action he took upon assuming office for the third term was signing the 'Kishan Samman Nidhi'. Rahul Gandhi is attempting to incite the farmers... We urge them not to be swayed by his provocations.”
- Jul 24, 2024 03:13 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma calls on finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Parliament Session LIVE: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today and praised her for delivering the Union Budget 2024.
"This budget has an unprecedented focus on Jobs, Yuva Shakti, Nari Shakti and small businesses," the CM stated in a post on X.
Regarding his meeting with the Finance Minister, the Assam CM said, “The Finance Minister has reassured that all support announced in the Union Budget will be extended to Assam to help build a flood-resilient economy... We have also been assured that all issues related to royalties from hydrocarbon industries in the State will be resolved promptly... I also offered suggestions to enhance the capacity building of Assam’s chemical and hydrocarbon industries.”
- Jul 24, 2024 02:54 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘Budget lacks interest in the entire country,’ Congress MP KC Venugopal hits out at Centre
Parliament Session LIVE: Speaking to news agency PTI about the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, Congress MP KC Venugopal said, “The Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) is misleading the House. The Budget should reflect the sentiments of the entire country, which was missing in yesterday's Budget. This is why the opposition is protesting.”
- Jul 24, 2024 02:38 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘It is an MoU between Andhra and Bihar CMs,’ says Congress MP Jebi Mather on Budget 2024
Parliament Session LIVE: Regarding the INDIA bloc's protest against the Union Budget, Congress MP Jebi Mather said, “We cannot even call it a budget. What was presented yesterday was a MoU between PM Modi and the CM of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The budget was presented to the two states. When this government is on crutches, these two states are supporting it. It is a total attack on the federal structure of the Constitution. That's why the entire INDIA alliance protested in one voice.”
- Jul 24, 2024 02:33 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Chidambaram in RS asks 'Why no mention of Tamil Nadu in Budget speech?
Parliament Session LIVE: During his speech in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Congress MP P Chidambaram questioned Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech for not mentioning Tamil Nadu or any other state not ruled by the NDA. He emphasised ‘in a federal structure, the Centre must treat all states equally’.
- Jul 24, 2024 02:24 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘Tamil Nadu is being denied disaster relief funds,’ says Chidambaram in RS
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress MP Chidambaram, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, said that the Centre has been denying funds to Tamil Nadu for disaster relief.
- Jul 24, 2024 02:21 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress MP Chidambaram slams govt over ‘inflation’, says ‘you will be punished like in polls’
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress MP P Chidambaram criticised the Central Government for inflation during his speech in the Rajya Sabha amid the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
"If you don't take inflation seriously, you will be punished in polls like you were punished in the bypolls," Chidambaram warned the government.
- Jul 24, 2024 01:58 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Rahul Gandhi on his meeting with farmer leaders
After meeting farmer leaders, LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi tells reporters: "In our manifesto, we have mentioned MSP with a legal guarantee. We have done the assessment and it can be implemented. We had a meeting right now where were decided that we will talk to the other leader of the INDIA alliance to put pressure on the Govt that MSP legal guarantee should be given to the farmers of the country."
- Jul 24, 2024 01:37 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Law & order remarkably improved in J&K since abrogation of Article 370, says MoS
“The overall law and order scenario in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has seen remarkable improvement after the abrogation of Article 370. Organised stone pelting is zero after the abrogation of Article 370. 10 Security Forces &14 civilians killed in 2024 till 15th July,” MoS Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, according to ANI.
- Jul 24, 2024 01:07 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: What Jagdeep Dhankhar said after Kharge walked out of Rajya Sabha
“Discussion on the Budget was listed today and I gave the floor to the Leader of the Opposition in expectation that rules will be followed. I find it has been used as a ploy and a strategy. Hon'ble Members, I strongly plead with you. Democracy will be seriously threatened if disruption and disturbance are weaponised as a political strategy as has been done now,” Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said.
“Parliament is a citadel of Constitutional and democratic values and liberties. I am aghast as a matter of fact when during the day and days following, we will have ample opportunity to reflect on the budget presented by the Hon'ble Finance Minister, there was absolutely no occasion or justification, even remotely, to not avail the facility accorded by me for this purpose. I cannot persuade myself but to take serious exception to this unwholesome practice adopted by a senior Member, Leader of the Opposition. I will call upon leaders of the parties to soul-search,” he added.
- Jul 24, 2024 12:57 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Farmers delegation meet Rahul Gandhi
A 12-member farmer leaders delegation reaches the office of Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Parliament House to meet him.
The delegation includes leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Congress MPs Raja Brar , Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dharamvir Gandhi, Deepender Singh Hooda and Jai Prakash are present in the meeting. - Jul 24, 2024 12:37 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Rahul Gandhi says govt stopped farmers from meeting him
“Some farmers wanted to meet me, so I called them inside the office,” LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi told reporters in Parliament. “But they were not allowed to come inside. You will have to ask the prime minister the reason for this.”
- Jul 24, 2024 12:21 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Rahul Gandhi holds meeting with Congress MPs
Leader of the Opposition of Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi today met with 20 Congress MPs who will speak on the Union Budget in Parliament.
- Jul 24, 2024 12:03 pm IST
Parliament Session LIVE: What Mallikarjun Kharge said before walking out of Rajya Sabha
Before some leaders of the Opposition walked out of Rajya Sabha over 'discriminatory' Budget, LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said: "...Yeh kursi bachane ke liye yeh sab hua hai...We will condemn it and protest against it. All INDIA alliance parties will protest...How will development happen if there is no balance?..."
- Jul 24, 2024 11:42 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman hits out at Opposition
"This is a deliberate attempt of the Opposition led by Congress to give the impression to people that nothing has been given to our states. This is an outrageous allegation...” Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Rajya Sabha.
- Jul 24, 2024 11:29 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Opposition's charge
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is responding to the Opposition's charge that only two states benefitted from yesterday's Budget. She also responded to the charge that non-BJP-ruled states were not even mentioned in the Budget speech.
"I didn’t mention Maharashtra, but we have approved a port in the State. It is worth Rs. 76,000 crores,” Sitharaman says. "Did Congress FMs mention all State names during their Budget speeches?"
- Jul 24, 2024 11:20 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Mallikarjun Kharge says only two states benefitted from Budget
Referring to the announcements for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in the Union Budget, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge says that only two states benefitted from yesterday’s budget.
- Jul 24, 2024 11:11 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Kiren Rijiju objects to Opposition's protest in Lok Sabha
Amid ruckus, Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju points out that all parties in the Opposition had agreed to run the House peacefully at all-party meet on July 21. "Now (Opposition) they are creating ruckus here," he says.
The sloganeering has stopped for now. - Jul 24, 2024 11:05 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Question hour begins in Lok Sabha amid ruckus
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha begin amid protests. Speaker Om Birla is requesting MPs to allow the House to run peacefully.
- Jul 24, 2024 11:00 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: House proceedings begin
Proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament have started.
- Jul 24, 2024 10:46 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: ‘Uttar Pradesh got nothing in Budget,’ claims Akhilesh Yadav
On the Union Budget, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav tells ANI: "We all were demanding that farmers should get MSP but the support price is given to the alliance partners who are saving their govt, rather than the farmers...The government could not take any concrete step regarding inflation. Uttar Pradesh did not get anything. UP should have got a double benefit from the double-engine government. I think the people of Lucknow have angered the people of Delhi. Its result is visible in the budget. So what is the benefit of the double engine?..."
- Jul 24, 2024 10:43 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Mallikarjun Kharge on Budget
As leaders of INDIA parties protest against Union Budget, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tells reporters: "It is injustice...We will protest..."
- Jul 24, 2024 10:40 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: INDIA bloc protests against ‘discriminatory’ Budget
Members of the INDIA bloc are protesting in the Parliament over the "discrimination" against the opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. The protest is being held at the Parliament House entrance. Watch video
- Jul 24, 2024 10:32 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: 'It's a very unfair budget,' says Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi
"It's a very unfair budget. More states of India and their pressing concerns have been ignored. This is a desperate budget by a desperate government only to save its existence. They do not care about what the local needs of all the states are, that's why the INDIA alliance is protesting," Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi tells ANI.
- Jul 24, 2024 10:24 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: JMM MP Mahua Maji on Budget
On the Union Budget, JMM MP Mahua Maji tells ANI: “Jharkhand is a backward state, there are so many minerals here that the state supplies to the country, from coal to iron to all the precious minerals but nothing special has been given for Jharkhand in the budget.”
She added: "The state government is doing everything for employment, but since the royalty of coal which is ₹1.36 lakh crores, it has not been received even after repeated requests. The state has a shortage of money. In such a situation, if something special is given to Jharkhand, then the people there will be happy. There were a lot of expectations, a lot of money was also needed for the railways. In this budget, an attempt has been made to please only those people with whose help the government has been formed at the centre..."
- Jul 24, 2024 10:13 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: K Suresh on Congress party's protest against Budget
On INDIA bloc to protest against Union Budget 2024 in Parliament, Congress MP K Suresh tells ANI: "...All the INDIA bloc leaders were present in the meeting yesterday. All of them have one opinion to protest the discrimination in the Union Budget 2024... That's why today at 10:30 AM, we are having a demonstration in front of the Parliament. We will protest inside the house also... We would highlight the discrimination with the states ruled by the opposition party. We are strongly criticising the budget proposals."
- Jul 24, 2024 10:07 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Coalition dharma focus of post-election budget
The BJP has made an attempt to keep its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners and core supporters happy by ensuring that the Union Budget had something for the allies, critical for the stability of the government, and for four segments—poor, farmers, women and the youth — that are key for electoral success.
The Union budget was careful to address the concerns of key allies Telegu Desam Party and Janata Dal United. More on this.
- Jul 24, 2024 09:50 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Rajya Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget
A general discussion on the Union Budget and the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the fiscal year 2024-25 will be held in the Rajya Sabha later today.
- Jul 24, 2024 09:41 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress MP gives adjournment notice to Lok Sabha
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha and demanded a discussion over the "negligence" of Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget 2024 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (ANI)
- Jul 24, 2024 09:27 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Kerala CM alleges Budget is ‘discriminatory’
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that Budget 2024 was discriminatory, and said, “Such an attitude by the centre is detrimental to the progress of states like Kerala. Refusal to consider the longstanding demands raised by Kerala echoes total disrespect to the people of the state.”
- Jul 24, 2024 09:09 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Key Budget takeaways
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday presented the Union Budget 2024-25 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. In her seventh record Budget, Nirmala Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. These included productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling and services. Read on.
- Jul 24, 2024 09:07 am IST
Parliament Session LIVE: Congress CMs to boycott NITI Aayog meeting
The Congress has also announced that their chief ministers will be boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, a Congress ally, has also announced a similar move.
- Jul 24, 2024 09:06 am IST
Parliament LIVE updates: Congress alleges discrimination in Budget
The Congress has alleged that the budget had "blacked out" states where there are non-BJP governments.
- Jul 24, 2024 09:06 am IST
Parliament LIVE updates: INDIA bloc to protest against ‘discriminatory’ Budget
Members of the INDIA bloc will protest in the Parliament and over the "discrimination" against the opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. The protest will be held at the Parliament House entrance at around 10.15am.
The decision to protest was made during a meeting of the INDIA block parties at the residence of Congress president and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday evening.