PM Modi Praises Union Budget Presented by Fin Min Sitharaman

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi showered praises on his government’s last Budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He said, the capital expenditure will touch a record high of 11,11,111 crore while keeping the fiscal deficit in check, achieving a “sweet spot”.

In a speech following Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Interim Budget for 2024, the PM said the decisions will not only aid the development of advanced 21st-century infrastructure but also lead to the generation of “countless” new employment opportunities for youth.

PM Modi said two key decisions have been taken for the aspirations of the young Bharat – setting up a Rs 1 lakh-crore fund for research and innovation, and increasing tax exemption for startups.

The PM also highlighted the decision of upgrading 40,000 railway coaches to Vande Bharat standards and said that this will lead to crores of passengers on various rail routes enjoying a comfortable journey.

Asserting that his government sets high targets, achieves them and then aims even higher, PM Modi said over 4 crore houses have been constructed for the poor in villages and cities, and the government is now aiming to build 2 crore more.

He said a target had been set to make 2 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’, which has now been revised to 3 crore. The ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme provides skill development training to women in self-help groups (SHGs) to enable every SHG household to earn an income of at least Rs 1 lakh a year.

“In this Budget, there has been a big push for empowering the poor and people from the middle class, and generating new avenues of income generation for them,” the PM said.

The PM said several key decisions have also been taken to increase the income and reduce expenses of farmers, including the use of Nano DAP (Di-Ammonia Phosphate).