Rising People’s Party slams Nagaland Budget 2024-25 labeling it ‘copy pasted con job’

Mokokchung, 4 March (MTNews): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) on Monday leveled serious criticism at the recently passed 2024-25 budget in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), asserting that it lacked imagination and amounted to “more or less a con job.”

The RPP also said that the NDPP Media and Communication Committee describing the budget as ‘visionary’ makes “any sane person wonder if there’s any limit to sycophancy and stupidity.”
In a scathing statement, the RPP further said that the NDPP should first comprehend the term “State Budget,” clarifying that funds allocated under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) or other external sources did not correlate with the state budget.

The RPP particularly questioned the connection between various developmental works sponsored by the Government of India and private agencies, such as SASCI and FHTC, as well as donations from external sources like the government of Japan and the FORTIS Group, Delhi, which were amalgamated into the state budget for the financial year 2024-25.

“Also if Rs. 180 Cr is being sanctioned for ENPO areas under PM-DevINE, NDPP should please enlighten us as to what is its correlation with the state budget!” the RPP said.

The RPP further questioned the connection between hosting Khelo India University Games in the state with the state budget. It said that Khelo India Games, an initiative of the central government, was hosted before the budget was passed, adding that budgets passed by the governments are future oriented, probable expenditures and incomes for the coming financial year.

“So the Chief Minister took credit for the games held in the past for which the state government did not incur even a single expenditure and the NDPP Media and Communication Committee had the audacity to term the budget ‘visionary’,” the RPP remarked.

The RPP alleged that the Chief Minister “very disingenuously” presented past and ongoing developmental works sponsored by the central government and private agencies as state government initiatives for the future in the budget.

“For instance, it’s marvellous that the block making unit at Wazeho cement factory which has been operating for the last 2-3 years has been highlighted in the budget as if it’s a new initiative to be undertaken!” the RPP said.

The RPP further pointed out that the state budget “as usual” had nothing for the common man, sports persons, entrepreneurs, elderly, and farmers, etc.

The RPP criticized the budget, stating that it seemed copied directly from the Union budget, raising concerns about its relevance to the state’s specific needs. “Basically, going through the state budget one gets the feeling that it’s copy-pasted straight from Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech,” the RPP said.