'Indication of where India will be in 2047'; 'not targeting 2024': BJP ministers on Budget 2023

With Budget 2023-24 out, Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Prahlad Patel, and Ramdas Athawale, while speaking to ETV Bharat's Anamika Ratna, share their opinions about the fund allocations and the positives in it.

New Delhi: As the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the crucial Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday, several BJP ministers lauded the pro-people initiatives reflected in the budget and said it was an indication of 'where India would be in 2047'.

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda said the budget had a lot in it for tribal welfare even as he pointed out that some states were not up to the mark when it came to using the allocated funds. "If you see the budget of my ministry, last time it was 8,000 crores while this time it's 12,000 crore, which is a hike of more than 12 percent. A databank of 7 crore tribals will be created. The PVTG development mission will aid the particularly vulnerable tribal groups with safe housing, clean drinking water, education, nutrition, road and telecom connection, and livelihood. A budget of Rs 15,000 crore will be dedicated to this mission in the next three years," Munda said.

Asked whether the state governments are been able to spend the budgets allocated to them, the minister said: "Performance of some states is not up to the mark, but for now I don't want to get into the details. States need to work hard for tribal development." "38,800 teachers and support staff would be appointed in 749 Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students in rural and tribal districts to reach more than 350,000 students relying on these schools," Munda added.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti Prahlad Patel called it "a budget considering the targets of 2047". "Jal Jeevan mission got a hike of 10,000 cores from 60,000 crore to 70,000 crore, Swachh Bharat Mission got a hike which is fine, a scheme named 'Gobardhan' got 10,000 crores. Overall it's also a budget that empowers women and the middle class," Patel told ETV Bharat.

Minister of State, Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Bandu Athawale also praised the budget though he said that it had nothing to do with 2024 general elections. "It's not targeting the election 2024, but focused on the development of the people. It's an important budget and infrastructure got 10 lakh crores, railways also got a good share and farmers are been taken care of," Athawale told ETV Bharat. Commenting on the opposition's criticism of the budget, he said it's their work. "They keep on making baseless comments but we will keep doing our work," he said.