(LiveMint)
Finance minister Arun Jaitley is giving his budget speech in Lok Sabha. Here are the main highlights of his speech:
■ Agriculture ministry will reorient ongoing programmes to promote cluster-based horticulture production, says FM.
■ Food processing sector growing at 8% and the allocation for food processing ministry being doubled to Rs1400 crore.
■ India’s agriculture export potential is $100 billion as against current $30 billion exports, says FM.
■ Kisan credit card facility extended to fisheries and animal husbandry sectors, says FM.
■ Surplus power produced by solar-powered generators used by farmers will be bought by state distribution utilities: FM
■ Air Pollution in Delhi NCR is a cause for concern, special scheme will be implemented to support Govts of Haryana, Punjab,UP and Delhi NCT to address it and subsidize machinery for management of crop residue.
■ Rs16,000 crore to be spent on providing electricity connection to 4 crore poor households, says FM.
■ Govt to provide free LPG connection to 8 crore women under Ujjwala scheme, up from earlier target of 5 crore, says FM.
■ 1 crore houses to be built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in rural areas, says FM. Govt to establish a dedicated affordable housing fund under National Housing Bank for priority sector lending.
■ Over six crore toilets built under Swachh Bharat Mission and the govt will build another two crore toilets, says FM Jaitley.
