Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team for a historic Budget in Amrit Kaal and said it gives priority to the deprived. He said the budget strives to fulfill the dreams of the aspirational society, the poor, villages and the middle class, and comes with a big plan for digital agriculture infrastructure.
Terming the traditional artisans like carpenters, lohar (ironsmiths) Sunar (goldsmiths), Kumhars (potters), sculptors and many others as the creator of the nation, Modi said, “For the first time, the country has come up with many schemes as a tribute to the hard work and creation of these people".
Arrangements have been made for training, credit and market support for them, he saud, adding that PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman, i.e. PM ViKaS will bring a big change in the lives of crores of Vishwakarmas.
Modi also said the government has taken significant steps such as Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojna and PM Awas Yojana etc. that will further empower the welfare of women. He emphasized that miracles can be performed if Women Self Help Groups, which is a sector with extreme potential, is further strengthened.
Underlining that a new dimension has been added to Women Self Help Groups in the new budget with the introduction of a new special savings scheme for women, the Prime Minister said that it will strengthen women especially the homemaker from common families.
This Budget, the Prime Minister said, will make cooperatives a fulcrum of the development of the rural economy. An ambitious scheme to form new primary co-operatives has also been announced in the budget. This will expand the area of milk and fish production along with farming, farmers, animal husbandry and fishermen will get better prices for their produce.
Emphasizing the need to replicate the success of digital payments in the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister said that this budget comes with a big plan for digital agriculture infrastructure.
Pointing out that the world is celebrating the International Year of Millets, Modi said, “This superfood has been given a new identity of Shree-Anna”. Small farmers and tribal farmers of the country will get economic support, he said.
This budget, Modi continued, will give an unprecedented expansion to Green Growth, Green Economy, Green Infrastructure, and Green Jobs for a Sustainable Future.
“In the budget, we have laid a lot of emphasis on technology and the new economy. Aspirational India of today wants modern infrastructure in every field like road, rail, metro, port, and waterways. Compared to 2014, investment in infrastructure has increased by more than 400 percent,” the Prime Minister said.
He underlined the unprecedented investment of 10 lakh crores on infrastructure that will give new energy and speed to India's development. He informed that these investments will create new employment opportunities for the youth, thereby providing new income opportunities to a large population.
The prime minister also touched upon the Ease of Doing Business and said: “An additional loan guarantee of Rs 2 lakh crore has been arranged for MSMEs”. He also added that a new arrangement has been made for timely payments by big companies to MSMEs.
Underlining the potential of the middle class in realizing the dreams of 2047, Modi said, “Our government that always stood with the middle class has given huge tax relief to them”.
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