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Former Union finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram hit out at the Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, claiming that most of the new schemes are “beyond capacity” of the government.
“Budget is full of new schemes, programmes; many of these beyond capacity of this govt,” PTI quoted Chidambaram as saying.
“Takeaway from Budget 2025-26 is that BJP wooing tax-paying middle-class, Bihar electorate. Bureaucracy will be happy with this Budget. The government’s stranglehold on people’s activities is getting tighter,” Chidambaram said
“Economy will trudge along on old path, deliver no more than usual 6% or 6.5% growth in 2025-26” Chidambaram remarked .
Further, P Chidambaram said that the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA), in his Economic Survey, gave “sensible advice” to the government.
“Get out of the way” was his call to the government”, but “it is evident that neither the Finance Minister nor the PM care for the advice of the CEA,” Chidambaram said.
The Congress leader said that the FM is “walking on the worn-out path and she is not willing to break free as we did in 1991 and 2004.”
“She is not willing to deregulate. She is not willing to get out of the way of the people, especially the entrepreneurs and the MSMEs and the start-ups. It is the bureaucracy that will be happy with this Budget. The stranglehold of the government on the activities of the people is getting tighter,” Chidambaram said.
The former finance minister pointed out that the Budget, contrary to the CEA’s advice, is full of new schemes and programmes, many of which are beyond the capacity of this government. “I counted at least 15 new schemes or programmes and 4 new funds,” he said.
