The Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remained in the thick of controversies for ambitious plans that gave regional focus. At the same time, it has pitted reasonable disappointment in North East India—a region feeling overlooked as the budget puts an emphasis on other parts of the country.
The India middle class came into this year’s budget with high expectations of serious relief measures. While this year’s budget did see the government declare a hike in the standard deduction from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000, normally, people believe that this sort of increment is less than what is required to assuage the broader economic pressures on them. Inflationary pressures, stagnant wage growth, and the rise in living costs are all strains on the purse of middle-class households; hence, this modest tax relief does not go far in most people’s opinion.
Much of the budget goes to flood management in Bihar, which indeed is a place in dire need of huge support due to its periodic natural disasters. Their management ranked high on the list of priorities for Bihar, just as huge investments have been injected into urban development, infrastructure, and energy security in different parts of India.
While these initiatives are of paramount importance to the growth of the country, time and again, laying emphasis on such far-flung areas like Bihar brings a sense of negligence toward North East India.
Though North East India and Assam go through similar problems, with intense floods and utterly undeveloped infrastructure, both have relatively fewer resources and budgetary allocations dedicated to them.
Every monsoon, floods cause devastation and dislocation in Assam and many North Eastern states. The budget apportions relatively fewer resources to the areas, thereby raising questions of regional equity and balanced development.
North East India is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and unique biodiversity, making it a prime destination for tourism. However, the budget does not adequately address the development of tourism infrastructure in this region. Investing in tourism could significantly boost the local economy, create jobs, and promote sustainable development. Yet, the budget’s focus on tourism initiatives seems concentrated on other parts of the country, leaving the North East’s potential largely untapped.
The Union Budget 2024-25 while ambitious in its vision for ‘Viksit Bharat,’ has left North East India feeling overlooked. Much emphasis was placed on the flood management of Bihar and other places, while giving less attention to the crying needs of redressing North East India and Assam—a speak of many imbalances in the nation’s vision for development. This also overshoots an opportunity in investments made towards the tourism infrastructure of North East, very critical to its economy and regional development. If India has to progress, all parts of the country should feel represented and be a partner in the growth story of the nation, leading to equal development.
