Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Thursday, 1 February, said the Union Budget gives new wings to aspirations of the poor as he cited measures aimed at giving a boost to farmers, infrastructure, the rural sector, and small and medium enterprises.
Addressing the media, Shah said the Budget is in the spirit of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.
Shah also posted a number of tweets as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made announcements while presenting his fifth budget to highlight their significance, especially for the poor and weaker sections.
This is the last full-fledged Budget of the BJP-led NDA government before the next Lok Sabha polls, scheduled for 2019, and the ruling alliance hopes that its emphasis on rural sector will help it connect with masses as the elections approach.
Shah said the "record allocation" to the rural sector and agriculture will lead to unprecedented rural development and agricultural growth and asserted that consistent focus on rural development and agriculture has been a hallmark of the government.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaitley for the “historic” step of raising MSPs to 1.5 times the costs incurred by farmers and said it showed the government’s commitment to farmers and doubling their income.
There is a "tremendous stress" on improving ease of living for the average citizen and this is happening with improving affordability and access, he said. This will give a boost to their aspirations, Shah added.
He also termed 'Ayushman Bharat' an unparallelled initiative to ensure health insurance as well as health assurance.
Protecting 10 crore families, which is about 40 percent of India's population, with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family is a global first, he said.
'Saubhagya Yojana', which aims to provide electricity connection to 4 crore families, reflects sensitivity and commitment of the Modi government to brightening the lives of the poor and bring them into mainstream of India's development, he said.
The Modi government's decision to provide eight crore LPG connections under the historic PM Ujjwala Yojana is a landmark decision and a testimony of its commitment towards woman empowerment and improving the quality of lives of poor, both urban and rural, the BJP president said.
The proposed 'Eklavya Schools' in tribal blocks reflect the govt's resolve for the uplift of tribals and this will boost their education help them secure a better future, he added.
There are significant benefits to the MSME sector, which will not only give relief but also help small and medium entrepreneurs to achieve new heights of development, he said.
He also highlighted the mention of 'Swachh Bharat' scheme in the budget, saying it has been one of the country's biggest success stories.
Yogi Lauds FM Jaitley
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Desh ke ghareebon, gaon, kisaano, buzurgon ko dhyaan mein rakh kar behtareen yojnaayen hain, PM ka abhinandan aur FM ko badhai”. (The country’s poor, farmers and the old were kept in mind in this budget. I thank the Prime Minister and congratulate the Finance Minister.”
Other BJP leaders also congratulated Jaitley on his last full budget.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis called the Budget “historic and pathbreaking”, while the Union Minister of Minority Affairs Devendra Fadnavis said, “This Budget is Gazette of inclusive development.”
Vijender Gupta, BJP MLA from Rohini in Delhi, called the Budget out-and-out for the poor, farmers and the most vulnerable sections of society, claiming that this might be a solid ground for the foundation of a New India.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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