Rohtak, February 1
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has termed the Union Budget 2025-26 as discriminatory towards Haryana, calling it completely hollow and disappointing. He said Haryana has been left empty-handed in the budget, while the common man, farmers, laborers, and villagers have received no relief.
Speaking at a press conference, Hooda said that this budget has completely failed to meet the expectations of the common man. “Nothing has been done to provide relief from inflation, and no exemption has been given in income tax. While tax is being collected on cryptocurrency, the government is not clarifying whether it is considered legal or illegal,” he stated.
Neglect of Education and Health Sectors:
“Looking at the percentage of GDP spent on education, after the removal of the cess in 2002-03, the total expenditure was 2.3 percent, which has now decreased to only 1.1 percent—less than half. Similarly, in 2017, the target was to spend 2.5 percent of the GDP on health, but currently, it is below 1 percent. Budget cuts have been made in these sectors,” he said.
Neglect of Farmers:
“Farmers have been completely ignored in the budget. There is neither any provision for loan waiver nor any arrangement to fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) according to the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Farmers are already in distress, but the central government has not paid any attention to their plight,” he pointed out.
Significant cuts across various sectors
Rural Development: ₹53,067 crore
Urban Development: ₹39,573 crore
Social Welfare: ₹9,999 crore
Agriculture: ₹6,985 crore
Education: ₹6,701 crore
Health: ₹3,686 crore
He said revenue expenditure decreased by ₹75,168 crore, while capital expenditure saw massive cuts—₹25,335 crore at the central level and ₹1,19,041 crore at the state level. The central government’s capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP fell from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent. Not a single word was mentioned about this poor performance in the budget speech.
Threat to MGNREGA:
Hooda warned that preparations are underway to dismantle MGNREGA. This would be a direct attack on the rights of Dalits, backward classes, and rural people, as this scheme is a major support system for rural employment and poverty alleviation.
He said this budget is proof of the BJP’s anti-people policies. “The common man is struggling with inflation, unemployment, and economic crisis, but the central government has only paid lip service. This budget has been prepared by ignoring the interests of Haryana and the entire country,” he noted.
