Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday began her budgetary speech in the Lok Sabha amid loud protests by Opposition MPs, who demanded an immediate discussion on the recent Mahakumbh stampede.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday began her budgetary speech in the Lok Sabha amid loud protests by Opposition MPs, who demanded an immediate discussion on the recent Mahakumbh stampede.
As the minister took the floor, Samajwadi Party MPs, led by party chief Akhilesh Yadav, raised slogans and pressed for accountability over the tragedy.
Advertisement
With their demands unmet, Opposition MPs staged a symbolic walkout in protest. However, they later returned to the House to attend the proceedings.
Advertisement
The Samajwadi Party issued a statement saying that it demanded in Parliament that the government release the list of people who lost their lives in the Mahakumbh stampede.
Despite the disruption, Sitharaman continued with her speech and made several key announcements. She said, “In this Budget, the proposed development measures span 10 broad areas, focussing on the poor, youth, farmers and women.”
She also announced key measures for small businesses and urban growth, stating, “The investment and turnover limits for classification of all MSMEs will be enhanced to 2.5 and 2 times respectively. This will give them the confidence to grow and generate employment for our youth.”
Further, the minister unveiled a major urban infrastructure initiative, saying, “The government will set up an Urban Challenge Fund of ₹1 lakh crore to implement the proposals to make cities as growth hubs.”
Advertisement
