Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy lauds Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's 7th Budget
Bengaluru: Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, has extended his congratulations to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting her seventh consecutive budget in Parliament.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy lauded the budget, describing it as a step towards realizing Prime Minister Modi's vision for a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) and referring to it as a 'narishakti' (women empowerment) budget due to its focus on providing benefits to women.
Kumaraswamy highlighted that the budget has identified nine priority zones, with a allocation of ₹1.48 lakh crore for education, employment, and skills development. This investment aims to create 4 crore jobs and effectively utilize human resources. "This budget includes initiatives to financially empower small and medium-scale industries, which are crucial for employment generation," he noted.
Describing the budget as "visionary and far-reaching," Kumaraswamy emphasized its focus on agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and employment generation. He mentioned the announcement of 12 industrial corridors, including the Bangalore-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bangalore corridors, which are expected to significantly boost employment and economic growth.
Kumaraswamy also praised the budget's emphasis on agricultural research and development to meet the growing food demand and give a greater impetus to agriculture. He appreciated the extension of the digital survey scheme for agricultural crops to 400 districts across the country and commended Sitharaman for prioritizing natural farming.
Highlighting the focus on research and innovation, Kumaraswamy said, "Prioritizing industrial development through mutual collaboration between the central and state governments is an initiative that shall make a far-reaching contribution to development." He also welcomed the provision of 50-year interest-free loans to states in the budget, describing it as an "all-reaching budget of the Amrit Kaal."
• Heartfelt congratulations to the Finance Minister, Mrs. @nsitharaman avaru, for presenting the budget for the 7th consecutive time.
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) July 23, 2024
• This Nari Shakti Budget aims to empower the Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. @narendramodi's vision of a 'Developed India' and significantly… pic.twitter.com/cCyALm6Gig
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
