Representative imageNew Delhi: The NDA government’s third full Budget lays emphasis on infrastructure development and agricultural sector. Finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the government would invest Rs 3,96,000 crore on infrastructure.
The agricultural sector is expected to grow 4.1 percent, he said. The budget has earmarked funds to distribute Rs 10,00,000 crore as agricultural loans and to set up more agricultural labs. As much as Rs 9,000 crore has been allotted for crop insurance.
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The budget has an ambitious target of freeing 50,000 villages from poverty. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme gets Rs Rs 48,000 crore.
The budget has also allotted Rs 52,393 crore for the development of Scheduled Caste groups.
Science will be promoted in the school curriculum. About 1.5 lakh villages are promised high-speed Internet.
Jaitley has promised to lay 132 kilometers of road every day in the coming year. One crore poor people will get houses by 2019. All houses in the country will be electrified by May, 2018.
The prime minister’s Rural Road Scheme has been allotted Rs 19,000 crore.
The government will start 100 more skill development centers. India International Skill Centers will be set up at various places. As much as Rs 500 crore has been allotted for women empowerment centers.
The government also plans to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
All competitive examinations will be brought under a centralized authority. The UGC Act will be reformed to give more autonomy to colleges.
The government has allotted Rs 435 crore to help electronic manufacturers.
The spoiler
Kerala’s long-standing demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences has been put on the back burner this time too, while Gujarat and Jharkhand have been promised an AIIMS each.
Senior citizens will be given a health card that contains all information on their health on the basis of Aadhaar.
