TN CM Stalin's 'wishlist' finds no mention in Union Budget 2024

CHENNAI: In her seventh budget presentation during BJP rule at the Centre since 2014 and the first in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman could not satisfy the DMK led government in Tamil Nadu.

A lack of mention about crucial projects like the Rs 63,000-odd crore funds for the Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) Phase II project left the DMK MPs and their allies red-faced in the Parliament and outside.

A cursory glance of the budget report would have left Chief Minister MK Stalin agitated considering that the union finance minister did not grant flood relief funds sought by him.

The fact that the Rs 37,000 crore sought by the CM for relief and reparation works for damages caused by the recent floods in eight districts in Tamil Nadu did not find a mention in today's budget presentation but special financial and infrastructure packages, including flood prevention projects, were announced for BJP allies in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, provided political fodder for the opposition which started dubbing it as the 'Andhra-Bihar budget' in no time.

CM Stalin on Sunday had expressed hope that the Centre would fulfill the expectations of the people of the state by clearing Tamil Nadu-specific projects in the Union budget 2024-25.

For the past three years, the Centre has "not released funds" for the CMRL Phase II project, Stalin said and listed other proposals including the pending sanction for the Tambaram-Chengalpattu elevated expressway corridor.

Among the state's expectations, he had listed the approval for Metro Rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai, allocation of adequate funds for already announced railway projects in Tamil Nadu and increasing the expenditure limit under the Centre's rural and urban housing schemes (PM Awas Urban/Gramin schemes).

(With online desk inputs)