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.
Sitharaman also announced expansion of Nano DAP scheme to various crops in all agro-climatic zones and also announced a mission for oil seeds to achieve self reliance in oil seeds such as mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower.
She said the government will further strengthen its dairy and fisheries development schemes.
- Focus on women power - Nari Shakti
Talking about women welfare measures of the government in her budget speech, Sitharaman said the empowerment of women through entrepreneurship, ease of living, and dignity for them has gained momentum in the last ten years.
Giving the latest data, Sitharaman said thirty crore Mudra Yojana loans have been given to women entrepreneurs while female enrolment in higher education has gone up by twenty-eight per cent in ten years.
She also referred to the earlier initiatives of Prime Minister Modi’s government in her budget speech such as making the Triple Talaq among Indian Muslims illegal, and reservation of one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies.
The Finance Minister said over seventy per cent houses built under PM Awas Yojana in rural areas have women as sole or joint owners and have enhanced their dignity.
- Lakhpati Didi and strengthening of Anganwadi workers
Sitharaman said eighty-three lakh SHGs with nine crore women are transforming rural socio-economic landscape with empowerment and self-reliance.
“Their success has assisted nearly one crore women to become LakhpatiDidi already. They are an inspiration to others. Their achievements will be recognized through honouring them. Buoyed by the success, it has been decided to enhance the target for LakhpatiDidi from 2 crore to 3 crore,” she said.
She said upgradation of anganwadi centres under “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0” will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development.
Reaching out to youth
World’s most populous country India is also a young country with over 58 percent of India’s population being below the age of 29 years. This presents unique opportunity and challenges for policy makers. The young people in the age group of 20 to 34 years make more than 25 percent of the country’s population and a significant group for any government during the elections.
Talking about the budget proposals related to this crucial group, the finance minister Sitharaman said our prosperity depends on adequately equipping and empowering the youth.
Highlighting the achievement of earlier schemes, the finance minister said the Skill India Mission has trained 1.4 crore youth, upskilled and reskilled 54 lakh youth, and established 3,000 new ITIs.
She said PM Mudra Yojana has sanctioned 43 crore loans aggregating to Rs 22.5 lakh crore for entrepreneurial aspirations of our youth.
“For our tech savvy youth, this will be a golden era,” Sitharaman said as she announced the budget proposal of establishing a corpus of rupees one lakh crore with fifty-year interest free loan.
“The corpus will provide long-term financing or refinancing with long tenors and low or nil interest rates. This will encourage the private sectorto scale up research and innovation significantly in sunrise domains. We need to have programmes that combine the powers of our youth and technology,” she said.
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