Opposition Parties in Bihar Condemn State Budget as Deceptive and Inflated
In a sharp political confrontation, opposition leaders in Bihar have vehemently criticized the state budget presented on Tuesday, labeling it a "bundle of lies and false dreams" that mirrors the approach of the Union government. The criticism comes amid growing tensions between the ruling NDA coalition and opposition parties ahead of crucial legislative discussions.
Congress State President Launches Scathing Attack
Bihar Congress state president Rajesh Ram launched a comprehensive attack on the budget document, alleging that the NDA dispensation has once again relied on inflated figures and hollow claims to mislead the public. He expressed deep concern about the growing disconnect between budgetary announcements and ground realities.
"Although the size of the budget keeps increasing every year, the Bihar government has failed to make meaningful use of the allocations," Ram stated during his press conference. "Common citizens are being deceived by selling daydreams through the budget. Even after winning more than 200 seats, the BJP-JDU-NDA government has sidelined Bihar's basic needs and is only cheating people by entangling them in a game of numbers."
Allegations of Neglecting Core Issues
The Congress leader raised serious questions about the government's priorities, particularly highlighting what he described as neglect of women's safety and agricultural welfare. He pointed to concerning incidents in the state capital as evidence of systemic failures.
"A government which could not ensure the safety of women and girls even in the state capital, Patna, was making hollow claims about the welfare of women and farmers," Ram asserted. "All this is being done so that it can be marketed through the media, while the ground reality tells a different story."
According to the opposition leader, the budget document follows a familiar pattern of unfulfilled promises. "As always, only promises and announcements were made on youth employment and industrial development. Bihar's needs, education and employment were once again presented in a glossy manner through statistics, while schemes remain unimplemented," he added.
RJD Spokesperson Questions NDA's Bihar Leadership
RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan joined the criticism, expressing astonishment at how Bihar's NDA leaders responded to the Union budget presented in Parliament just a day earlier. His comments suggested a growing rift between state leaders and their constituents.
"The entire state was stunned by the reaction of NDA's Bihar leaders to the Union budget," Gagan remarked. "It appears that NDA's Bihar leaders have either completely surrendered before the central government or abandoned Bihari pride in their greed for power."
Unfulfilled Promises and Infrastructure Concerns
The RJD spokesperson provided specific examples of what he called broken commitments and delayed projects that continue to hamper Bihar's development:
- None of the demands raised by the Bihar government at the pre-budget meeting with the Centre were fulfilled
- Announcements regarding the Koshi dam remain unimplemented
- Key expressway projects including Patna-Purnia, Buxar-Bhagalpur and Bodhgaya–Rajgir–Vaishali–Darbhanga corridors are delayed
- Textile industry proposals for Patna, Gaya and Bhagalpur have made little progress
- Infrastructure spending commitments of Rs 59,000 crore have been put in cold storage
"Yet there is a competition among NDA's Bihar leaders to praise the budget," Gagan observed with evident frustration.
Metaphorical Criticism of Development Claims
In particularly colorful language, the RJD spokesperson criticized what he called the exaggeration of minor achievements by the ruling coalition. His comments highlighted the opposition's perception of a significant gap between government claims and actual deliverables.
"The ship repairing centre in Patna is being projected as if a major industry has been given to Bihar," Gagan stated. "This is like calling a small plant a huge banyan tree. If NDA's Bihar leaders cannot raise Bihar's voice, they should at least not mislead the people by telling lies."
Opposition Coordination and Legislative Strategy
Following the initial criticisms, opposition parties demonstrated coordinated planning for the upcoming legislative session. Grand Alliance legislators held a strategic meeting at the 10 Circular Road bungalow, where leaders from RJD, Congress and the Left parties discussed their parliamentary approach.
During this meeting, opposition leaders:
- Discussed key issues to be raised in the legislative assembly
- Instructed legislators to study the budget document closely
- Developed strategies to expose what they described as "fake promises" in the budget
- Coordinated their response to ensure maximum impact during budget discussions
The opposition's unified stance suggests a concerted effort to challenge the NDA government's budgetary claims and highlight what they perceive as significant gaps between promises and implementation. As budget discussions proceed in the Bihar legislature, these criticisms are likely to form the core of opposition arguments against the government's financial planning and development agenda.
