Lok Sabha resumed discussion on the Union Budget for 2023-24 today. Participating in the discussion, YSR Congress MP Bharat Ram Margani termed it as an expansive budget and lauded the government for coming up with such a budget at a time when the world is facing global economic crises. He urged the government to sanction a metro rail project for Andhra Pradesh besides asking the government to allocate funds for setting up petrochemical complexes in the state. He also asked the government to implement the 2014 Andra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.<br />'' <br />'' Prof. Sougata Ray of TMC said the budget does not make a mention of how to tackle issues like unemployment, inflation and poverty. He termed the budget as opportunistic and said that it lacked a futuristic approach.<br />'' <br />'' Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of TMC said there are no out-of-the-box schemes for economic empowerment of women. She termed the Budget opportunistic and anti-people and claimed that it cannot be called an inclusive Budget.<br />'' <br />'' CPI(M)'s AM Ariff said the allocation for MGNREGA has been reduced. He pointed out that there has been a huge increase in work in rural areas of the country following COVID-19 pandemic. He also said that the Budget is against the interest of farmers, and requested Centre to allocate more funds for their welfare.<br />'' <br />'' Hasnain Masoodi of National Conference said that allocation for Mid-Day Meal Scheme, ICDS, Food Processing and Agriculture has been reduced in Budget 2023-24. He said that one-third of the country's population is children, and schemes targeting them should get more allocation.<br />'' <br />'' Members of various other political parties including Supriya Sule of NCP, NK Premachandran of RSP, and Jagdambika Pal of BJPm also participated in the discussion.<br />'' <br />''The discussion remained inconclusive.