The central government remains steadfast in its commitment to restoring normalcy in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated on Tuesday. She assured the Centre’s full support for the state’s economic development while addressing discussions on four money bills in the Rajya Sabha.
Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that despite challenges, inequality in India is on a decline, and extreme poverty has been eliminated. She dismissed the Opposition’s criticism of the Modi government’s Make in India scheme, asserting that it has significantly boosted the country’s economy.
During the session, the finance minister revealed that the Manipur budget for the financial year 2025-26 has proposed a contingency fund of ₹500 crore to address emerging situations. She emphasized that Manipur, being a border state, has faced crises for decades, and successive governments have handled the situation with sensitivity. However, she noted that discussions in the House focused more on the state’s law and order situation than on its budgetary provisions.
Responding to Opposition claims that the double-engine government failed to resolve the crisis, Nirmala Sitharaman said that merely pointing fingers would not help Manipur. She reminded the House that even during the Congress rule, when both the Centre and Manipur had Congress-led governments, the state witnessed its worst economic blockade in 2011, lasting for 120 days. She further criticized the Congress, stating that its governance had worsened the situation rather than providing relief.
Recalling past incidents of violence, Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that Manipur experienced a severe ethnic conflict between Kukis and Nagas in 1993 under Congress rule, leading to 750 deaths and the destruction of 350 villages. Addressing disruptions by Trinamool Congress (TMC) members during her speech, she accused them of trying to stifle her response, adding that the Parliament was not a street in Kolkata where such behavior would be tolerated.
Following her reply, the Rajya Sabha passed the four bills related to Manipur’s budget, supplementary demands for grants for 2024-25, additional grants for FY25, and excess demands for grants for 2021-22, which had already been cleared by the Lok Sabha on March 11.
Speaking on inequality, Nirmala Sitharaman cited improved Gini coefficient figures, a measure of income inequality. She noted a decline in consumption inequality in both rural and urban areas since 2011-12. Quoting a report in The Economist by Surjit Bhalla and Karan Bhasin, she emphasized that extreme poverty has been eliminated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Defending the Make in India initiative, Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the scheme, supported by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI), attracted ₹1.5 lakh crore in investments, generated 9.5 lakh jobs, and led to ₹4 lakh crore worth of exports. She credited the initiative with strengthening India’s manufacturing sector, particularly in mobile phone production. She criticized the Congress-led UPA government for its delayed implementation of the National Manufacturing Policy and for signing hasty Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that adversely impacted India’s manufacturing industry. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, she added, is now working to renegotiate these deals to benefit the country.
With the Centre’s continued focus on development and security, Nirmala Sitharaman reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring stability in Manipur and fostering its long-term growth.
