New Delhi:Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday made a strong pitch in her budget speech, seeking to galvanise the four key support groups – poor, farmers, women and youth – to support the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the crucial general elections due this year.
Presenting the interim budget, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Our Government is working with an approach to development that is all-round, all-pervasive and all-inclusive. It covers all castes and people at all levels.”
Illustrating the government’s thinking for the four key support groups that make up for the most of India’s electorates, Sitharaman said: As our Prime Minister firmly believes, we need to focus on four major castes. They are, ‘Garib’ (Poor), ‘Mahilayen’ (Women), ‘Yuva’ (Youth) and ‘Annadata’(Farmer).”
“Their needs, their aspirations, and their welfare are our highest priority. The country progresses, when they progress. All four require and receive government support in their quest to better their lives. Their empowerment and well-being will drive the country forward,” said the Finance Minister.
In the government’s bid to reach out to socially and economically vulnerable groups through the election year budget proposals such as other backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, that constitute majority Indian voters, Sitharaman said previously, social justice was mostly a political slogan.
“For our Government, social justice is an effective and necessary governance model. The saturation approach of covering all eligible people is the true and comprehensive achievement of social justice. This is secularism in action, reduces corruption, and prevents nepotism,” she said.
“There is transparency and assurance that benefits are delivered to all eligible people. The resources are distributed fairly. All, regardless of their social standing, get access to opportunities. We are addressing systemic inequalities that had plagued our society.”
“We expect that our Government, based on its stupendous work, will be blessed again by the people with a resounding mandate,” Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha.
What’s in the budget for four key support groups?
- Welfare measures for India’s poor - Garib Kalyan
In her budget speech, the finance minister said the welfare of the poor was the welfare of the country. She said that earlier approach of tackling poverty through entitlements had resulted in very modest outcomes. “The Government has assisted 25 crore people to get freedom from multi-dimensional poverty.”
While talking about the past and present measures and schemes to alleviate the poverty, Sitharaman said that by using the Direct Benefit Transfer to transfer Rs 34 lakh crore from the Government using PM-Jan Dhan accounts has led to savings of Rs 2.7 lakh crore which helped in providing more funds for welfare of the people.
Talking about the government’s flagship scheme for street vendors, she said 78 lakh street vendors have received the assistance under the scheme and 2.3 lakh of them have received credit for the third time.
She also highlighted PM-JANMAN Yojana which reaches out to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups, and PM-Vishwakarma Yojana for artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 trades.
- Welfare measures for Farmers - Annadata
Sitharaman also referred to PM’s flagship scheme PM Kisan Samman Nidhi which was announced ahead of previous general elections in 2019, saying that 11.8 crore small and marginal farmers are benefitting through the scheme while 4 crore farmers are benefitting the PM Crop Insurance scheme.
She said Electronic National Agriculture Market has integrated 1361 mandis and providing services 1.8 crore farmers with a trading volume of Rs 3 lakh crore.
“These, besides several other programmes, are assisting ‘Annadata’ in producing food for the country and the world,” she said.