Soon after presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-2020, finance minister Piyush Goyal took questions from journalists. Edited excerpts
Q: The opposition has criticised the interim budget as an election budget.
This government has worked for the poorest of the poor. Unfortunately, the former PM, who was in power for 10 years, worked only for a section of society. PM Modi worked for every section of society, particularly for the poor.
Q: The criterion for getting PM Kisan benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is based on land ownership. The scheme is being criticised for excluding tenant farmers?
To provide relief to distressed small and marginal farmers has been the priority. It is done on the basis of available data. Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land up to two hectares or less than five acres, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year. Around 12 crore small and marginal farmer families are expected to benefit from this. Welfare of rural poor is the priority of the government and it is an ongoing process.
Those who criticise this did not do anything in their 10 years of rule. We have planned more than Rs 7,50,000 crore for the farmers in the next 10 years and they have spent only Rs 52,000 crore in their 10 years of rule. Our efforts in this direction is beyond the imagination of the Congress because they seldom come out of their air-conditioned rooms. Our PM lives amongst farmers.
{{/usCountry}}Those who criticise this did not do anything in their 10 years of rule. We have planned more than Rs 7,50,000 crore for the farmers in the next 10 years and they have spent only Rs 52,000 crore in their 10 years of rule. Our efforts in this direction is beyond the imagination of the Congress because they seldom come out of their air-conditioned rooms. Our PM lives amongst farmers.
{{/usCountry}}Q: Have you made adequate provisioning for the pension scheme for the unorganised sector workers?
Funds are not a constraint. A sum of Rs 500 crore has been allocated for the scheme. Additional funds will be provided as needed. The scheme will also be implemented from the current year. It will be available for the unorganised sector workers with monthly income up to Rs 15,000.
It will be available to street hawkers, carpenters, cobblers and even domestic help. It will provide them an assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 per month. It will be of immense help for them as after 60, when they are not able to work due to the age factor.
If a person joins the yojana at the age of 29 years, he will have to contribute only Rs 100 per month till the age of 60 years. If the worker joins pension yojana at 18, he will have to contribute as little as Rs 55 per month. The government will contribute an equal amount. At least 10 crore workers in the unorganised sector will avail the benefit of the yojana within the next five years.