Budget empowers poor: PM

While empowering the poor, the Budget would also live up to the expectations of all, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. The prime minister, who was present in Parliament during the presentation of the Budget, lauded Arun Jaitley and his team for an “excellent” and “historic” Budget, terming it an important step toward the country’s overall development. 

“IT will create new job opportunities, help economic growth and support the farmers’ income generation,” Modi said. “It ensures best education, health and housing to improve the quality of life of the citizens. It bolsters the purchase power of the middleclass without increasing the fiscal deficit,” Modi added, commenting on the Budget after it was tabled in Lok Sabha. The prime minister  said the Budget would galvanise infrastructure, strengthen financial system and augment development.

He said the merger of the Railway Budget with the general Budget would help intrinsic planning of the transport sector. Allocations for schemes in agriculture, rural development and infrastructure have been hiked, while  electronic manufacturing and textiles have been specially marked for investment for job creation, Modi said.  The scheme to make poll funding more transparent is a commitment to clean up the system and eliminate black money and is in tune with people’s hopes, he  added.  The Budget is associated with “our aspirations, our dreams and in a way depicts our future,” Modi said.

BJP president Amit Shahh termed restrictions on cash donation to political parties as “historic” in stopping black money in electoral funding. “The Budget is aimed at all-round development,” Shah said.  “It is pro-village and pro-farmer. It offers new possibilities for the youth willing to strike out on their own,” Shah said.