Shillong, Feb 5: Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Saturday addressed BJP party workers in Shillong on the Union Budget 2022-23 that was recently tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Briefing mediapersons, Rijiju lauded the Government of India for the overall allocation for the Northeast in the entire budget which has jumped by huge numbers. According to the union minister, In the last year’s budget, the total allocation for the northeast was little more than Rs. 68,000 crore which now has come to more than Rs. 76,000 cr so it is a huge quantum jump, a jump of nearly Rs. 8,000 crore.

“Now it is up to the governments in the northeastern states to utilize all the budgetary support allocated in the Union Budget,” said Rijiju.

Mentioning about how it has been an honor for him to be part of the Cabinet and especially being a tribal from the Northeast, he said, “On behalf of the northeastern people I feel that it was an honor to be there in the Cabinet under the leadership of PM Narendra Modiji, and as a person from northeast and as a tribal from northeast it is a huge honor to become the first tribal Law Minister of the country,”

This is the Union Minister’s first visit to Meghalaya after being appointed as Union Minister of Law and Justice.

He added that it took almost 75 years for a tribal in India to be the law minister of the country. “So it is a huge responsibility and faith which honourable Prime Minister has given to me so I feel that to become the Law Minister of the country is not an honor for Kiren Rijiju, it is an honor for the entire Northeast and the entire tribal community of the country,” said Rijiju.

He also emphasized how this is the first time that there are two cabinet minister and 3 Minister of states in the same time in the Union Council of Ministers.

“This shows just how much the honorable Prime Minister gives importance to northeast far more than our numbers. Normally democracy runs with numbers but for the Prime Minister numbers do not matter all the time but it is his emotional connect especially with the people of northeast which has made him to give a huge representation that too with the critical important portfolios in the Cabinet,” added Rijiju.

Concerning the Union Budget, Rijiju said that when it comes to infrastructure which requires huge investment, in the last 7.5 years alone they have received budgetary support which they have never received in last five or six decades.

This support includes railway projects, airports, highways roads for the villages in the rural areas and all important critical support for the development of soft infrastructure in the field of education, health and other sectors.

He also spoke about the PMDevINE scheme with an initial allotment of Rs 1500 cr given will be utilized in those sectors which are not covered by any other programs and policies or schemes.

“What we’ve seen is in the NE due to unique geographical and regional character there are some areas, some critical structures, some issues, which are not settled by existing programs and policies. There are many areas which are left out or leaves a gap. This special amount is to fill up all those gaps so that nothing is left as a vacuum,” said Rijiju.

Rijiju said that in a place like Shillong which is known as a very progressive city and being a very old city, people of the state will definitely wholeheartedly welcome the union budget because this budget has given provision for every section of the society.

Rijiju further said that he was hopeful that the young and dynamic CM Conrad Sangma will ensure under his leadership that all the schemes and programs and amount allocated under the union budget 2022-23 will be implemented effectively.