Darjeeling MP Raju Bista praises Union Budget 2024 for strategic focus on economic sector

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista lauded the Union Budget 2024 and emphasised the budget’s strategic focus on key economic sectors including employment generation, youth skilling, modernisation of agriculture, infrastructure development, urban growth, innovation, manufacturing and inclusive growth.

MP Bista expressed his deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for introducing the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana.’ The initiative, with an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore, aims to help tea workers by improving healthcare, educational infrastructure and overall social welfare.

The central government has set aside Rs 11,474 crore for the State Disaster Relief Funds across the country, with West Bengal receiving an estimated share of Rs 1,200 crore. MP Bista stressed the importance of using these funds to support victims of the Teesta flood and landslides in the region.

Significant investments in rail infrastructure were also noted, with the Ministry of Railways allocating Rs 13,941 crore for state development. Ongoing rail projects worth ₹60,000 crore include the modernisation of 100 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with upgrades to Siliguri Junction, New Jalpaiguri and Jalpaiguri stations.

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The budget underlines the government’s commitment to infrastructure and sets aside Rs 11.1 lakh crore for capital expenditure. Rural development is being addressed with an allocation of Rs 2.66 lakh crore for rural infrastructure, while Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been earmarked for long-term zero-interest loans to support state-level projects. In addition, Rs 6.42 lakh crore has been allocated to states and union territories, with another Rs 1.62 lakh crore allocated for loans and advances to state governments.

To address the housing need, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is being expanded to 3 crore houses, with PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0 targeting 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families, backed by an investment of Rs 10 lakh crore.

Youth empowerment gets a big boost with Rs 2 lakh crore allocated under the Prime Minister’s package of five schemes, aimed at providing employment and skill development opportunities to 4.1 crore youths over the next five years. For women-led development, the budget allocates over Rs 3 lakh crore to various schemes for the benefit of women and girls.

MP Bista concluded by acknowledging that the Budget is a great boon for the region, addressing urgent needs in the areas of highway and rural road development, healthcare, education infrastructure, disaster management and employment. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman for presenting a progressive and growth-oriented Budget.