FM Nirmala Sitharaman blames Cong for de-industrialisation of Bihar

She said that from 2004 to 2014, via tax devolution as per the Finance Commission formula, Bihar received Rs 2.04 trn but under the Modi government, it received Rs 7.07 trn in 2014-2024 so far

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday blamed the freight equalisation policy of the Congress governments from 1952 to 1991-92 for the de-industrialisation of Bihar and eastern India. 

Sitharaman listed steps taken by the Narendra Modi government for boosting industrialisation of Bihar and for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 
 

At a press conference in Patna, the FM said: “One of the cornerstone initiatives that is driving Bihar’s transformation is PM’s special package, a monumental commitment of Rs 1.25 trillion announced in 2015.” She said that from 2004 to 2014 Bihar received Rs 2.04 trillion but under the Modi government the state has received Rs 7.07 trillion in 2014-2024 so far. This is a 3.5 fold increase on account of tax devolutions. Grants worth Rs 2.81 trillion were given between 2014-2024 so far, representing an increase of 3.7 times compared to the amount of Rs 75,213 crore during 2004-2014, she added.
 

Sitharaman spoke of the Centre’s efforts at preserving B R Ambedkar’s legacy. Arround 60 per cent of current Union ministers are from OBC, SC and ST communities and a majority of the beneficiaries of the government’s welfare schemes were people from these communities. “The Modi government honoured the legacy of Babu Jagjivan Ram, a respected Dalit leader from Bihar, by launching the Stand-Up India scheme on his birth anniversary,” she said. 

She said Karpoori Thakur was awarded the Bharat Ratna and recalled how Sitaram Kesri, former Congress president, “was insulted and ousted from his position to make way for Sonia Gandhi to become president.”

Startups asked us to remove angel tax: Congress
 

Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty on Tuesday said his party's manifesto has promised to abolish angel tax as demanded by startups. Responding to a report that founders of India’s leading startups met Union ministers in Delhi on Monday, Chakravarty said that some of these individuals expressed their inability to attend a Congress manifesto consultation in March.