Cong accuses Govt of ‘double standards’ in allocating funds to flood-hit states

New Delhi: The Congress Sunday accused the central government of practising “double standards” in allocating funds to flood-afflicted states, alleging that it was exacting “revenge” on the people of Himachal Pradesh for not voting for the BJP in the Assembly elections.

Congress general secretary (In-charge, Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “Yesterday, the self-anointed non-biological Prime Minister said that Viksit Bharat depends on Viksit states. Wow, such a profundity. If only he put the taxpayer’s money where his mouth is!”

“After the disastrous floods of 2023, the govt of Himachal Pradesh repeatedly demanded that the Union govt declare the floods a national calamity, a plea which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman repeatedly rejected,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“Now, in her Budget Speech, when allocating funds for irrigation and flood mitigation, the Finance Minister has provided a vivid illustration of the double standards at work in the non-biological PM’s Government,” he claimed.

“Relevant extracts from this section for each flood-afflicted state: Bihar: ‘Government’¦will provide financial support for projects with estimated cost of Rs. 11,500 crores’. Assam: ‘We will provide assistance to Assam for flood management and related projects.’ Uttarakhand: ‘We will provide assistance to the state.’ Sikkim: ‘Our Government will provide assistance to the state.’ Himachal Pradesh: ‘Our Govt will provide assistance to the state’through multilateral development assistance’,” he said.

Basically, what the finance minister has said is that BJP-ruled states will get financial assistance in the form of grants but when it comes to the Congress-governed Himachal Pradesh, the assistance will be “arranged through multilateral development assistance”, i.e., loans that it will have to repay, Ramesh said.