In every Budget, one doesn’t get an opportunity to name every state of this country.

For example, the Cabinet in June had taken a decision to set up a port on Vadhavan in Maharashtra. More than Rs 76,000 crores have been allocated for that. Maharashtra’s name wasn’t mentioned in the Vote on Account Budget in February, nor was it taken yesterday. Does it mean that Maharashtra got ignored?

Yesterday, the TMC questioned the Budget saying nothing has been given to West Bengal. Let me just highlight the fact that the several schemes given by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi in the last 10 years have not been implemented in West Bengal. Bengal Government should correct its course.

If a particular state is not named in the speech, does it mean that schemes and programs of Government of India, the externally aided assistance which we get from the World Bank, ADB and other such institutions don’t go to these states? They go as per the routine.

This is a deliberate attempt of the Opposition parties, led by the Congress, to give an impression to people that nothing has been given to our states. This is an outrageous allegation. I would challenge the Congress party for all the budget speeches that they have delivered – have they named all the states of the country?

• Smt @nsitharaman during her intervention in Rajya Sabha.

~ Tweet by Nirmala Sitharaman Office