Budget 2020: Who said what ?

22:51 February 01

No mention of employment, inflation in FM Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech: Hemant Soren

Ranchi (Jharkhand):Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her budget speech did not mention anything about unemployment and inflation.

"The Finance Minister gave a speech for around three hours, in my knowledge nobody has ever given such a long budget speech. During this long speech, there was no mention of unemployment and inflation that how will the government fight against these issues. All these things were not mentioned during the budget presentation," said Soren.

22:46 February 01

Tax exemption to sovereign wealth funds will spur growth, says NITI Aayog CEO

The tax exemption given to sovereign wealth funds for infrastructure development in the Union Budget 2020 will spur growth in the infrastructure sector, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Saturday.

"This is a development-oriented budget. Our corporate and indirect tax regime will become one of the lowest in the country. The dividend distribution tax has been removed. Additionally, our country needs infrastructure creation. In view of that, sovereign wealth funds have got tax exemption for infrastructure. For startups also important measures have been introduced," Kant said.

22:40 February 01

Economy shifted from ICU to ventilator after Budget: WB Finance Minister

Kolkata: Finance Minister of West Bengal Amit Mitra on Wednesday said that after the Budget announcement, the Indian economy which was in ICU has now been put on a ventilator.

"The Indian economy was in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), just before the Budget, now after the Budget, I must say on behalf of TMC, the Indian economy is on the ventilator, it is having difficulty in breathing," said Mitra.

22:30 February 01

Union budget aims to strengthen health sector, medical education: Harsh Vardhan

Delhi:Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has termed the Union budget a pragmatic, holistic and people's budget with special focus on health, medical infrastructure, and medical education.

This year, the health sector has been allocated Rs. 69,000 crore.

"The health budget shows an increase of 3.75 percent, while there has been a 10 percent hike in the allocation for the department for medical research. The budget 2020 is on medical infrastructure, human resources in the health, and holistic health and wellness," said Harsh Vardhan.

22:28 February 01

This budget is focuses on Indian Tourism: Prahlad Patel

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel said, "The much awaited Indian Institute of Archaeological and Conservation was announced in the Budget. This will enable trained, qualified persons to conserve manuscripts, including monuments, museums. All partner institutions will benefit.

"The Budget has paved the way for creation of new museums and the preservation of existing ones."

For the tourism sector, the government has also allocated Rs 1,200 crore for Swadesh Darshan scheme and a corpus of Rs 208 crore for the Prashad scheme which seeks to build infrastructure for pilgrimage sites around the country.

22:11 February 01

Union Budget is people's budget: Anurag Thakur

Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Thakur said here on Saturday that Union Budget 2020-21 is people's Budget.

"This budget is for new India, young India. This budget is people's budget in the true sense," said Thakur.

"The focus is on rural India, agriculture and on doubling the farmer's income," he said.

22:04 February 01

Budget to provide relief to poor, farmers: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that the focus of the Modi government is to give poor people and farmers relief and thus the budget has allocated Rs 2,83,000 crore for agriculture.

"Our Prime Minister has the thought to give poor people and farmers relief. The union budget is a step in that direction. Rs 2,83,000 crore has been allocated for agriculture. There is an entire roadmap for the betterment of agriculture," Prasad said.

21:49 February 01

Small farmers need small formation: ICFA Chairman

Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) Chairman MJ Khan said, "The orientation of this budget is about farmers of our country. The schemes is also planned according to its requirement. We are losing the confidence which we had in the economy. "

21:21 February 01

Ramdas Athawale reacts to Union Budget 2020-21

Giving his views on the Union Budget 2020-2021, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said, "I welcome this budget.This budget is for middle class, working class, tribals, Adivasis, Dalits. The budget plays an important role in uniting the nation. It provides fast pace to the development of the nation. I welcome this budget."

18:47 February 01

Many states deliberately do not implement union schemes: Trivendra Rawat

Taking a jibe at Delhi CM Kejriwal for his remarks on Delhi Budget, Uttarkhand CM, Trivendra Singh Rawat said, "Maximum service sector people reside in Delhi and they will be the biggest beneficiaries of the income tax rebate announced today."

Earlier today,  Kejriwal tweeted, "Delhi had high expectations from the Budget, but step-motherly treatment has been meted out to it again."

18:08 February 01

Nothing for poor in this Budget: Selja Kumari

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Congress leader Selja Kumari said,"Budget 2020 is a showoff. Everybody know that the the situation is getting worse. They are unable to fulfil promises."

17:14 February 01

Congratulate FM Sitharaman, her team: PM Modi

"I congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team for presenting the first Budget of the decade that has vision as well as action, "said PM Modi

17:13 February 01

FM didn't acknowledge demand-constraint, investment dearth in economy: Chidambaram

"Indian economy is demand-constrained and investment-starved. Finance Minister has not acknowledged these two challenges, and that is a pity. Consequently, she has proposed no measures or solutions to those two challenges. If the twin challenges remain, the economy will not turn around and there will be no relief to the millions of poor and the middle class, " said former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.
 

17:00 February 01

This is a very progressive Budget: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis

"I thank Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Budget 2020. This is a very progressive Budget. This is a roadmap for the future keeping in mind the challenges to be faced by the country over the next decade. The 16-point programme initiated for addressing the farmer's distress in the country will definitely help in doubling their income, ' said former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
 

16:39 February 01

Budget is negative, pessimistic; doesn't address burning issues: Congress' Ripun Bora

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora on Saturday vehemently criticised the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in the Parliament by calling it "negative" and "pessimistic".

"This is Budget is totally negative, pessimistic, and the longest Budget since Independence. But there is nothing substantial in the Budget. This is full of poems and quotations. It doesn't address the burning issues of the country such as unemployment. Like last time, they have reiterated their promise to double the farmer's income. The issue of farmer's suicide does not find mention in this Budget."

On the Budget announcing sops to empower women, Bora said, "They just said that they are going to set up 58 lakh additional Self Help Groups."

"No emphasis is given to the Northeastern region. They should have focussed on improving Communication transportation in the region," added Bora.

16:17 February 01

Reduction in Customs duty didn't find mention in Budget: Ajay Mehra

"There was a huge aspiration for a reduction in Customs duty on the import of gold which somehow hasn't found mention in the Budget speech so I guess we are disappointed on one front and pleased on the other, " said Ajay Mehra, Managing Director Mehra and Sons.

16:00 February 01

Announcement of 100 new airports is positive move: CII Chairman

"I think the FM was in an incredibly difficult situation and she has done extremely well. The announcement that 100 new airports will be inaugurated is a very positive move. It will interesting to see what Krishi UDAAN Yojana would look like," said Ajay Singh, Chairman Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Committee on Civil.

15:30 February 01

"Modi govt has taken effective steps to rationalize tax system, boost basic infrastructure, strengthen banking system, promote investment & ease of doing business, which will further Modi government's resolve to make India a US$ 5 trillion economy," said Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Finance Minister presented the Budget.

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14:41 February 01

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi had high expectations from Budget, but step-motherly treatment meted out to it again. Delhi does not figure in BJP's priorities. Why should people vote for it.

14:39 February 01

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said "Budget gives outline of new and confident India; it will make country healthy and wealthy in coming years. Budget has clear focus on welfare and development of all sections; it gives special attention to farmers and is expected to significantly boost economy as it focuses on reviving growth and rejuvenating demand."

14:37 February 01

Calling the Union budget "insipid" and lacking in stimulus for growth, the Congress on Saturday said the government's annual financial statement comprises piecemeal measures, repackaged schemes, jugglery of tax slabs and has no real solutions to solve the economic crisis. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that at a time when India is in the midst of an economic downturn, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech focuses more on praising the prime minister rather than helping the common citizen. This budget confirms not only the bankruptcy of the economy but also a bankruptcy of government's ideas, he claimed.

14:37 February 01

Just platitudes, slogans; nothing substantial to alleviate people's misery, growing unemployment, prices: CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury on Budget.

14:28 February 01

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said " Maybe this was the longest Budget speech in history but it had nothing, it was hollow. The main issue facing is unemployment. I didn't see any strategic idea that would help our youth get jobs. I saw tactical stuff but no central idea. It describes govt well, lot of repetition,rambling-it is mindset of govt, all talk, but nothing happening."

14:27 February 01

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath: I congratulate Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for this development oriented and pro-farmer budget. This Budget will further strengthen the economy.

14:15 February 01

Budget 2020: Who said what ?

New Delhi:Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has concluded the budget presentation on Saturday. Here is what political leaders and other prominent personalities have to say.