HYDERABAD: Stating that the Centre has undertaken key reforms and taken crucial decisions to drive India’s growth, Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said the impact was now visible, especially in education, healthcare and infrastructure sectors. He termed the Union Budget a “Dream Budget”, balancing welfare for the poor, middle class and farmers while fostering economic growth.
He noted the income tax exemption limit has been raised to Rs 12 lakh from Rs 2 lakh in 2014, benefiting salaried employees and small businesses. With over 1 crore MSMEs employing 7.5 crore people, the Budget allocates Rs 1.5 lakh crore in loans over five years, aiding 10 lakh MSMEs in Telangana, he added.
A Rs 10,000 crore “Fund of Funds” will support startups in 27 sectors, boosting Telangana’s startup ecosystem, the BJP state president said, adding that the state’s tax devolution share has increased from Rs 27,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore, alongside a Rs 1.5 lakh crore interest-free loan scheme for states and a Rs 10,000 crore “Urban Challenge Fund” for cities like Hyderabad.
The PM SVANidhi scheme will provide 30,000 credit cards to street vendors and gig workers, benefiting 7.5 lakh vendors in Telangana. Under the “Heal in India” initiative, Hyderabad is poised to become a global medical tourism hub. A six-year pulses mission will support 10 lakh acres of pulse farming in Telangana, he pointed out.
Additionally, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar called the Budget historic, particularly for the middle class, farmers and small traders. He hailed the tax exemptions up to Rs 12 lakh as revolutionary and described the Budget as a major step toward making India the third-largest economy by 2027.