NEW DELHI: A day after the Budget 2022-23 was presented in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore apart criticism that there was nothing for the poor, farmers and the middle class. In his virtual address to BJP workers across the country, Modi said the Budget has taken public investment to record levels to create more infrastructure, which will lead to faster growth and more jobs.
Highlighting the Budget announcements for farmers, Modi said the river linking project under which Rs 60,000 crore has been allocated for Ken-Betwa project will meet the irrigation needs of farmers in Madhya Pradesh. And, Rs 68,000 crore has been earmarked for direct assistance to farmers under the Kisan Samman Nidhi, he added. Besides, a digital platform has been created to help farmers get the best price for their produce, he noted adding that a separate agriculture corridor will also be created for farmers’ benefit.
Modi said there is a scheme to make annadatas (food providers) into ujradatas (energy providers). Under this, farmers will be provided solar pumps through which they would be able to sell their excess power. They will also be provided with drones to efficiently handle crops. He claimed the government has made record procurement under minimum support price.
The Budget has a large number of schemes for the poor and youth, the PM said, adding that over nine crore households have piped water, and 80 lakh pucca houses are being constructed for the poor. This, he said, is being done with the aim of providing housing for all.
He said the government’s focus is to develope remote areas, adding that all the villages of the country will soon be connected with optical fibre cable, which will take high-speed intenet to the villages. This, he said, will open doors to development in villages. The PM said the Project Parvatmala will take government’s development schemes to the remote Himalayan villages.
The Budget has laid foundation for providing growth avenues for the youth of the country, Modi said. He added that startups have been given further tax benefits and asked youth to start their own business. The digital university, announced in the Budget, will soon be established and India should move towards gaming hub. Underlining the huge size of the gaming market, he said India should develop its own games in order to reduce dependence on foreign games.
Separate itr column for crypto
Income tax return forms from next year will have a separate column for making disclosures on gains made from cryptocurrencies and paying taxes, Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said. From April 1st, 30% tax plus cess and surcharges will be applied on crypto income
LIC IPO in March
Draft LIC IPO prospectus to be filed by next week, issue in March, says Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secy to the Dept of Investment and Public Asset Management