The lone Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland expressed disappointment in the government’s budget, highlighting the “misplaced priorities of the government, as evidenced by the historically low budgetary allocations of 1.78 percent and 3.5 percent of the total budget to MGNREGA and the agriculture and allied sectors, respectively”.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
The lone Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland, S Supongmeren Jamir, on Tuesday, while participating in the ongoing discussion on the Budget 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha said that the Government of India (GoI) has once again resorted to headline-grabbing rhetoric instead of offering targeted and pragmatic solutions to address the twin scourges of inflation and unemployment faced by the common people of the country.
Raising objections to the central government’s unemployment projections of 6.7 percent for urban areas and 6.3 percent for rural areas, Jamir pointed out that the latest Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data shows higher rates of 9.2 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively. He expressed disappointment in the government’s budget, highlighting the “misplaced priorities of the government, as evidenced by the historically low budgetary allocations of 1.78 percent and 3.5 percent of the total budget to MGNREGA and the agriculture and allied sectors,” respectively.
According to a press statement released on Tuesday by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) communication department, it was stated that in terms of infrastructure and connectivity, the MP questioned the sincerity of the Union Government’s much-touted “Act East Policy”, when improvement of road connectivity in the North East Region didn’t even get a mention in this budget.
Also delving into issues closer to home, he reminded the August House about the fact that Nagaland was the only state in the country with its Capital devoid of Air Connectivity and drew attention to the false promise of the Union Government when it had announced the development of an IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) in Nagaland in the 2015-16 Union Budget.
In this regard, he urged the Central Government to honor its promises and implement the two projects on a priority basis.
S Supongmeren Jamir also lambasted the union government for blatantly lying to the “People of Nagaland” when it pompously declared that it had solved the Naga Political Issue nine years ago on inking of the “Framework Agreement” with the NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015, and “Agreed Position” with the Working Committee of NNPGs on November 17, 2017, when in reality the situation in the state has only deteriorated since then with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act still very much in place, killings occurring in broad daylight, anti-social elements burgeoning all over the state & the common people reeling under the painful and suffocating yokes of rampant illegal taxations.
He later demanded for early implementation of the Agreements to usher in an era of permanent and sustainable peace and development in the state.