Rise in allocation not unusual: Chidambaram
"As the Indian economy grows, the size of the annual budget will also grow and the total expenditure (and allocations) will also grow," the former finance minister noted.
P Chidambaram
CHENNAI: Taking exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that his regime has provided three times more funds to Tamil Nadu than what was allotted by the UPA governments that had DMK and Congress on board, former union minister sought to school the PM on the rise in allocation corresponding to the growth and said there was nothing exceptional or surprising about the increase in fund allotment.
"I suppose the PM was comparing the allocation in UPA's 10-year rule and the allocation in the NDA's 11-year rule. He is correct, but there is nothing surprising or exceptional about the allocations," Chidambaram said on Monday.
"As the Indian economy grows, the size of the annual budget will also grow and the total expenditure (and allocations) will also grow," the former finance minister noted.
For example, he said, the total expenditure in 2013-14 (under UPA) and in 2024-25 (under NDA) were Rs 15,90 lakh crore and Rs 47.16 lakh crore, respectively. "When the total expenditure of the Union of India is more than three times, what is surprising or exceptional about the allocation also being three times over? Ten or 11 years later, the allocations will also be three times more (or even greater) than the current allocations. This naturally occurs in developing countries," he said.
Modi’s comment during his visit to Tamil Nadu has added to an issue that is already steeped in politics in the State, more so after the union government insisted that the Tamil Nadu government must subscribe to its trilingual policy to avail Rs 2,152 crore funds under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
