Sitharaman counters LoP on farmers, food security & data

She said this would have severely constrained procurement and the public distribution system. “This meant that no procurement could happen from any Indian farmer post 2017. And we couldn’t give anything to the poor through the ration shops,” she said.

“We fought for it and brought a peace clause into it in 2017. That is how we were able to provide ration during Covid and are procuring from farmers. They are the ones who surrendered the country to the WTO. The Leader of Opposition has no moral authority to make the allegations he did,” she said.

“If Congress had its way, Indian farmers would have been on the streets. They are the ones selling Indian farmers.” She also accused the previous UPA government of weakening India’s position on terrorism vis-a-vis Pakistan. “It is they who delinked terrorism from talks at Sharm-el-Sheikh,” she said.

On Gandhi’s remarks regarding data and artificial intelligence, Sitharaman rejected the suggestion that Indian data was being allowed to flow abroad unchecked. “The LoP expressed concern over Indian data and AI. He claimed Indian data is going to foreign shores. It is not true. We are incentivising data centres so that the data remains in India and Indian youth get jobs. We have allocated Rs 1,000 crore for this,” she said.

Responding to concerns on food, fertiliser and fuel security, she cited budgetary allocations and inflation trends. “He spoke about food security, fertiliser security, fuel security. For food security, Rs 2.27 lakh crore has been allocated; Rs 4,064 crore for the food processing industry. Food inflation is at its lowest. Under UPA, food inflation was in double digits,” she said.

On global uncertainties, she said the Budget had provided buffers against external shocks. “He spoke about geopolitics, energy and weaponisation of finance. We have provisioned an economic stabilisation fund of Rs 50,000 crore for unanticipated challenges. Rs 9,800 crore has been allocated for technology security fund to counter weaponisation of technology… To insulate India from weaponisation of energy, the Budget pushes for autonomy in critical minerals. Rs 2,500 crore has been allotted for nuclear power. Rs 600 crore has been allotted for the green energy mission. He has not read the Budget,” she said.

Sitharaman said special economic zones hit by tariffs had been given relief. “The SEZ that have been impacted by tariffs have been given a customs rebate so that they can sell in the domestic market,” she said.

She also addressed Opposition criticism that the Budget had ignored West Bengal. Referring to the Purvodaya initiative, she said, “Under Purvodaya, West Bengal can select regions and highlight them. We have reduced TCS on tendu leaf collected in the Jangalmahal area from 5% to 2%. Its benefits will go to those who collect the leaves in regions such as Bankura, Purulia and Midnapore. Are these not for Bengal? We are being accused of not mentioning Bengal.”

On industrial schemes, she said states had flexibility. “We have announced three chemical parks. Not named states. Bengal can build one at Haldia. Can’t they do this in the interest of the people of Bengal?” she said. The Centre, she said, had announced “city economic region” support. “Any state can come forward and claim Rs 1,000 crore every year to build an economic region for a city. Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Durgapur can include themselves. Take Rs 5,000 crore for five years. But no. They just want to go to the Supreme Court in anger and say that the Centre is against us.”

Taking on Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, she said, “Abhishek Banerjee has presented distorted facts in the House. He claims there is a tax on milk. Since 2017, when GST was introduced, there has been no tax on milk. There is no tax on education, books, textbooks etc. Even pencil sharpener, erasers – all have zero GST. Healthcare and life insurance has also come down to zero. I don’t know where he is getting his facts from.”