Oppn slams limited focus on health, edu; says nominal hike don’t count

MP, 1 Feb 2023: Opposition leaders slammed the Centre on Wednesday for its “limited” focus on important sectors like health and education in the Budget for 2023-24 fiscal. In the annual Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the health sector has been allocated Rs 89,155 crore, a hike of around 13 per cent over Rs 79,145 crore allocated in FY 2022-23. 

The government also announced a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047. The Budget allocation for school education saw an overall increase of Rs 9752.07 crore (16.51 per cent) while for higher education, Rs 44,094.62 crore has been made available compared to Rs 40,828.35 crore in 2022-23, which is an increase of 8 per cent. BJD MP Amar Patnaik, however, said the increase in allocations is very “nominal” which “does not really count”. 

“The most important thing is the social sector spending – on health and education. There was no mention of the allocation in the Budget speech and if you look at the fine line, one finds that the increase is very nominal as a percentage of GDP. 

“These increases really don’t count, particularly because people in the rural areas are negotiating the post-pandemic pangs even now,” he told. Rural development, health and education should have been addressed more aggressively in allocations, the BJD MP added. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu termed the Budget highly disappointing and contrary to the expectation of the common masses. 

“The Budget is a mere artful trickery to achieve the desired ends. There is nothing in this Budget for any section of the society viz: middle class, poor, youth and farmers. Nothing has been said in the Budget to control rising inflation and unemployment and this Budget is completely disappointing and anti-commoner” he said here. 

Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed the Centre for a “limited focus” on education and health in the Budget. 

“If the Centre does not spend on health and education infrastructure, it is putting that burden on states. You (Centre) don’t send GST reimbursements on time." 

“You also ask states to give primacy to this. But there is no support from the Centre. This strains the federal structure,” Chaturvedi, a leader of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, told. 

Terming the 2023-24 Union Budget “big on announcements and short on delivery”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that there is no boost to education and health Budgets. “In fact, they have been reduced.” 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also accused the Centre of “neglecting” important areas such as education, health, social justice and women and child development. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/oppn-slams-limited-focus-on-health-edu-says-nominal-hike-dont-count-507223