Agartala, February 2: Opposition parties in Tripura, the CPIM and Congress, have strongly criticized the Union Budget 2025, presented in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.
Both parties accused the BJP-led Narendra Modi government of failing to address key economic issues like unemployment, inflation, and public welfare.
Reacting to the budget, Opposition Leader and CPIM State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury stated that there was no expectation of any significant change from the Modi government’s previous 11 budgets.
“The budget will put additional pressure on common people, executed in a clever and tactful manner,” said Chaudhury.
He criticized the budget for pushing further privatization of public sector enterprises and neglecting public investments that are essential for the welfare of the common man.
“The Economic Survey released before the budget already indicated a decline in purchasing power and a drop in employment opportunities. The government has failed to invest in public sector industries, which would have generated employment and economic benefits for ordinary citizens,” he stated.
Chaudhury further highlighted that over 12 lakh government posts remain vacant for the past decade and accused the Modi government of trying to hand over profit-making state-owned sectors like mineral mining to private players.
“The decision to allow 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector will severely impact public companies like LIC, which provides not only direct employment but also sustains lakhs of insurance agents across the country,” he warned.
He alleged that, like previous budgets, this one is also aimed at benefiting corporate monopolies and crony capitalists, rather than the common people.
Chaudhury also pointed out that the North Eastern Region (NER) has been significantly neglected, with the DoNER Ministry’s budget being slashed by ₹13,000 crore compared to the previous year.
“The middle class has been completely ignored, proving once again that the Modi government presents budgets for the rich, of the rich, and by the rich,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Tripura Congress president Asish Kumar Saha echoed similar concerns, stating that the budget has nothing substantial for the Northeastern states except for a proposal for an urea plant in Assam.
“For Tripura, which also has natural gas reserves, there was long-standing demand for an urea plant, but it has once again been ignored,” he said.
Saha, a former MLA criticized the BJP’s “double-engine government”, stating that their election promises of massive development projects have found no reflection in the Union Budget.
He further warned that the middle class will face increasing financial strain, as the budget fails to introduce any relief measures or new employment-generation policies.
Calling the budget anti-people, Saha said, “It offers no solutions to core problems like rising unemployment and inflation. Instead, it prioritizes policies that benefit the rich while pushing the common people into greater economic hardship.”
With both CPIM and Congress united in their criticism, political analysts believe that opposition parties in Tripura may intensify their agitation against the BJP government over economic issues in the coming months.
