Budget 2023 highlights | ‘Anti-poor’, ‘not futuristic’: Mamata Banerjee

Sitharaman announced PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 to provide skill training to the youth for the next three years. 

Pradhan Mantri Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups Development Mission is being launched to improve conditions of vulnerable tribal groups, Sitharama said.

“The Mission will saturate these families with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water, improved access to education, health, nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities,” she said.

Agriculture Credit Target to be increased to ₹20 lakh crores, with focus on animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries, the minister said, adding that a new sub-scheme of PM Matsya Sampada Yojana will also be launched with a targeted investment of Rs. 6000 crores.

Sitharaman announced that 50 additional airports, helipods, water aero drones, advanced landing grounds will be revived to improve regional air connectivity.

Three Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence will be set up in top educational institutions for realising the vision of Make AI in India and Make AI work for India, Sitharaman said.

Capital outlay of ₹2.4 lakh crore has been provided for Railways, the highest-ever allocation since 2013-14, the finance minister said.

“All cities and towns will be enabled for 100% mechanical de-sludging of septics tanks and sewers to transition from manhole to machine hole mode,” Sitharaman said.

"63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies are being computerized with investment of Rs. 2,516 crores; model bylaws were formulated for PACS, national database is being prepared, with this, massive decentralized storage capacity to be set up," Sitharaman said.

“This will help farmers store their produce and realize better prices for their produce, Govt. will faciliate setting up of larger number of coop societies, primary fishery societies and dairy coop societies in uncovered villages in next 5 years."

As part of its second priority ‘reaching the last mile’, Centre will provide ₹5,300 cr assistance to drought-prone central region of Karnataka, announced Sitharaman.

In the next 3 years the Centre will recruit 38,800 teachers and support staff for 740 Eklavaya Model Residential Schools serving 3.5 lakh tribal students, according to Nirmala Sitharaman.

The finance minister announced the established of157 new nursing colleges in co-location with the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014. She also assured that sickle cell anemia to be eliminated by 2047.

1. Inclusive development

2. Reaching last mile

3. Infrastructure and investment

4. unleashing potential

5. Green growth

6. Youth Power

7. Financial Sector

"Promotion of tourism will be taken up in mission mode, with active participation of states and PPPs," Sitharaman said while presenting Union budget 2023-24.

The finance minister highlights that the Indian economy has increased in size from being tenth to 5th largest in the world in the last nine years. 

"G20 Presidency gives us a unique opportunity to strengthen our role in the world economic order, we are steering an ambitious people-centric agenda to address global challenges and facilitate sustainable economic development," Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman listed seven key priorities of Union budget, including inclusive development, reaching the last mile, green growth, youth power.

"Entire expenditure of about Rs. 2 lakh crore under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is being borne by the central government, for supplying free food grains for one year to all Antyodaya and priroity households," Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman said that the Indian economy is on the right track and heading to a bright future. 

"Our focus on reforms and sound policies resulting in Jan Bhagidari helped us in trying times, our rising global profile is due to several accomplishments," she added.

"The world has recognized India as a bright star, our growth for current year is estimated at 7.0%, this is the highest among all major economies, in spite of massive global slowdown caused by pandemic and the war."

“During the COVID pandemic, we ensured that nobody goes to bed hungry with a scheme to supply free foodgrains to over 80 crore persons for 28 months,” finance minister Sitharaman.

Sitharaman has started her speech to present Union budget 2023-24.

Congress Lok Sabha chief K Suresh said the party doesn't think the government is giving any concession to salaried people. 

“They are announcing the budget only for eyewash schemes. They did the same in previous budgets. This time, focussing on 2024 elections, some schemes & reliefs may be announced,” he said,

Union cabinet approved the budget for 2023-24 at the meeting held at Parliament ahead of the budget presentation by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“This will be the best budget. This will be a pro-poor, pro-middle class budget,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters ahead of the budget presentation.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has joined a select league of ministers to present five consecutive federal budget in independent India. Sitharaman is only the sixth finance minister to do so, joining the league of ministers like Manmohan Singh, Arun Jaitley and P Chidambaram. Read more…