The Union Budget for 2021-2022 was presented on Monday in the Parliament by Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. It was the first budget post-Covid 19 and was expected to address many problems. 

While some leaders such as P. Chidambaram called it a cruel blow to federalism and a vengeful act towards protesting farmers, the Prime Minister has described this budget as a vision of self-reliance which will address all sections of the society. 

The Government of Delhi expressed disappointment at Delhi’s share of the budget allocation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Union Budget 2021-2022 in his tweet, saying that it will only benefit big companies and will increase difficulties for the common man. It will also lead to price rise in the entire country. The Centre was accused of giving a step-motherly treatment to the national capital. 

According to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, all hopes and anticipations of the people of Delhi came crashing down after the announcement of the budget. Delhi’s share has been decided at Rs. 325 crores regarding which Sisodia said that the city pays Rs 1.5 lakh crore to the Centre, against which the allocated budget is meagre. The grant towards Disaster Response has been reduced to a small amount of just Rs 5 crores from Rs 161 crores.  He also highlighted the fact that the total loans, grants and transfers to Delhi from the Central Government of India has been reduced to Rs 957 crores from Rs 1116 crores.

Compared with other Union territories, Delhi is claimed to have gotten the least amount in grant from the Government of India. Despite the same constitutional footing, the Kejriwal Government questioned the grant of Rs 30,757 crores to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The AAP Government was also disappointed with the education budget which has been reduced to Rs. 6000 crores. Sisodia made a series of tweets regarding the same, saying that the National Education Policy was just a jumlah. He also wrote that a country could not become self-reliant until and unless the children are provided with good education.

The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that the budget spells only doom for the middle class, the poor and the farmers. The reduction in the Agricultural Budget was also not welcomed amid the Farmer agitation.

Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta on the other side said that the Union Budget will help create Atmanirbhar Bharat in every field.