NEW DELHI: Delhi Minister for Industries, Food & Supply and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said that investments in high-speed rail corridors and promotion of electric vehicles announced in the Union Budget will play a key role in reducing pollution in the national capital while strengthening connectivity and infrastructure.
Highlighting green mobility initiatives, Sirsa said the focus on seven high-speed rail corridors, including the Delhi and Varanasi ones, along with an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for the electric vehicle sector, will help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in the capital.
He said the Centre has enhanced Delhi’s public borrowing limit to Rs 21,000 crore, which will help accelerate infrastructure development in the capital. “The Budget places strong emphasis on doubling farmers’ incomes through targeted schemes and market-linked interventions. Women-led Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will be connected to markets with a dedicated allocation of Rs 100 crore, while the Bharat-VISTAAR AI platform will provide real-time, customised advisory services to farmers, improving productivity and income security,” he said.
Highlighting the women-centric nature of the budget, Sirsa said, “Allocation for women has been increased by 11 percent, with nearly Rs 5 lakh crore earmarked for women-focused schemes. Under Lakhpati Didi 2.0, women associated with Self-Help Groups will be provided collateral-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh.”