New Delhi: The Union Budget for 2023-24 is focused on growth and welfare with a priority to provide support to farmers, women, marginalised sections and the middle class, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Singh said the budget proposals will lead the country towards achieving its goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and "top three" economies globally within a few years.
The defence minister tweeted, "the Union Budget for 2023-24 presented by FM Smt. @nsitharaman under the guidance of PM Shri @narendramodi is focused on growth and welfare, with a priority to provide support to farmers, women, marginalised sections and the middle class," he tweeted. "By creating jobs through investments in infrastructure projects paired with increased spending on agriculture, housing, healthcare and manufacturing sectors will help create more opportunities for everyone and help in driving economic growth further ahead!," he said.
Singh said the budget proposals will drive economic growth further. "The increase in Income Tax exemption limit to Rs 7 lakhs and several other tax related reforms will provide a huge relief to the middle class including salaried individuals and retired people. I congratulate the FM and thank Pradhanmantri ji for taking this people-friendly decision. "The Union Budget 2023-24 is expected to bring about positive changes in the country that will lead us towards achieving our goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and 'Top Three' economies within few years," he said in another tweet.
Reacting to the announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech in Lok Sabha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Union Budget for 2023-24 has drawn a meticulous blueprint for "India@100". "Giving a boost to education, skill dev, entrepreneurship, R&D, digital infrastructure, green growth & job creation, #AmritKaalBudget draws a meticulous blueprint for India@100 and lays a solid foundation for transforming India into a technology-driven knowledge-based economy," Pradhan tweeted.
Three centres of excellence for artificial intelligence in top educational institutions, 100 labs in engineering institutions for developing applications using 5G services, national digital library for children and adolescents for facilitating availability of quality books across geographies, languages and genres and recruitment of 38,000 teachers and support staff in the next three years for 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools are among the announcements made by Sitharaman for the education sector. "...a brilliant, people-centric and growth-stimulating #AmritKaalBudget that includes everyone, empowers poor & middle class, that reaches the last mile and that brings cheer to all," Pradhan said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Union Budget 2023 would take India forward in the direction of the welfare of the poor."New India rising under the leadership of PM Modi. My best wishes to PM Modi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman for the presentation of the Union Budget 2023. Under PM Modi's leadership, a prosperous, powerful India is being built and our resolution is the welfare of the poor. Budget will take India ahead in this direction," he said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Union Budget 2023 will be a "pro-people" budget that will support the growth of the economy. Talking to reporters, CM Bommai said, "India's economy is expected to grow at 6.8 per cent. It will be a pro-people budget that will support the growth of the economy. "The Chief Minister also stated that it would be a budget without any burden "It will be a pro-people budget with priority given to different sectors in the country. If the country's economy gets a boost, every citizen will get the benefit," said Bommai. Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hailed the Union budget, saying it has beaten the global economic slowdown and the "Bharat bashing brigade's propaganda".
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the last full Budget of the second term of the BJP-led NDA government. "The Union budget 2023-24 has beaten the global economic slowdown and the Bharat bashing brigade's propaganda and is committed to the country's inclusive development. This is not just a budget, but a gazette of the country's inclusive development and empowerment," Naqvi said.
The former Union minister also said it is due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's far-sighted leadership that the country's economy has not been affected despite challenges. BJP MP Tejashvi Surya tweeted and said that "I want to thank PM Modi and FM Sitharaman for the announcement of the over Rs 5,000 cr irrigation project for the Upper Bhadra region of Karnataka. This project will be a game changer for the state."
Haryana CM ML Khattar, "It was a revolutionary budget that will give relief to every section of society. New income-tax rates give relief to individuals. The outlay for PM Awaas Yojana has been enhanced by 66% in this budget, I welcome this."
Union Minister Smriti Irani said, "I'd like to extend gratitude to PM Modi. I won't look at the Budget minutely. Going by today's pronouncements, I believe that in the budget, respect for women increased. I also welcome the announcement of the National Digital Library for children and adolescents. I express gratitude to the FM that she presented a new option for Savings, in honour of women. Today's budget reflected how 'Nari Shakti' can build an empowered nation. This is a middle-class bonanza budget but PM has spoken about inclusive growth. This has been an inclusive budget. There was something for SC, ST, OBC, and women and elderlies."
