Sitharaman's budget speech more focused on posturing than action: Congress

New Delhi, July 23 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday claimed that the government seems to have finally come around to "tacitly admitting that mass unemployment is a national crisis" that requires urgent attention, as it slammed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech as being "more focused on posturing than action".

The opposition party's assertion came after Sitharaman in her budget speech announced that the government will launch three employment-linked schemes.

These schemes will be based on enrolment in the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "After ten years of denial -- where neither the non-biological PM nor his party's Lok Sabha Elections Manifesto would even mention jobs -- the Union Government seems to have finally come around to tacitly admitting that mass unemployment is a national crisis that requires urgent attention." "It's far too late, and as it turns out, far too little - the Budget speech is more focused on posturing than action," he said in a post on X.

Ramesh further claimed that Sitharaman has taken a leaf out of its 2024 Lok Sabha polls manifesto by announcing an internship programme but "in their trademark style", the scheme has been designed to "grab headlines with arbitrary targets" rather than a programmatic guarantee.

In the Union Budget of 2024-25, Sitharaman announced that the government will launch a scheme to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth in 500 top companies over five years.

"The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC's Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC's proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki," Ramesh said.

"However, in their trademark style, the scheme has been designed to grab headlines, with arbitrary targets (1 crore internships) rather than a programmatic guarantee for all diploma holders and graduates, like the Indian National Congress had envisioned," he said.

In its 2024 Lok Sabha polls manifesto, the Congress had promised that if it comes to power it will bring in a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25.

"Apprentices will get Rs 1 lakh a year. The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth," the manifesto had said.

The Congress also took a swipe at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, saying he quit the NDA in 2018 due to the failure to grant special category status to the state and six years later when the government is reliant on his MPs, all he has managed to get is a "special financial support" for Amravati.

The government announced a series of measures for Andhra Pradesh, including arranging Rs 15,000 crore this fiscal and in future years for the development of the capital city of the state.

Presenting the Union Budget 2024-25, Sitharaman said the government will also facilitate special financial support for the development of the capital city.

Reacting to the development, Ramesh said, "In 2018, Chandrababu Naidu garu quit the NDA because of the non-biological PM's failure to grant Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status. Six years after the drama, at a time when the Government is reliant on his MPs for support, all he has managed to get is 'special financial support' for Amravati." In another post, Ramesh said, "Why has it taken 10 years to announce that what was already committed to in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 will be implemented".

In the Union Budget, the Centre also allocated over Rs 3 lakh crore for schemes benefiting women and girls and stated that it is fully committed to the completion and financing of the Polavaram irrigation project.

The minister also announced a backward region grant for three districts of the state.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a key ally of the BJP in the Centre. Naidu is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Political parties from Andhra Pradesh have protested time and again since 2014 demanding special category status for the state.

Special category status is a classification of regions or states by the central government to provide special assistance in the form of tax benefits and financial support for the development of the region.

Ramesh also said that it is highly disappointing that the Finance Minister’s announcement on data and statistics makes no mention of releasing funds for the decadal Population Census that was supposed to have taken place in 2021, but has still not been conducted.

This is the first time since Independence that the government has failed to conduct a Census on time, he said.

"The consequences on the State's administrative capabilities are serious – one example being the 10-12 crore individuals who have been excluded from the ambit of the National Food Security Act. It also means that the government will likely continue to avoid a Socio-Economic Caste Census, despite calls from its own NDA partners for the same," Ramesh said.