Hailing the Union Budget-2021 presented by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman as visionary, pro-poor and forward looking budget, Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said special focus on farming, healthcare, infrastructure, women and senior citizens would in particular help further improving the lives of people of Haryana.
In a statement, Khattar said that it would give a massive boost to the economy and further strengthen the ‘Sankalp of Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. He also thanked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her announcement to extend the Swamitva Scheme to all States and Union Territories in the country, adding that Haryana is the pioneer State to start a scheme to make the villages of the State free from Lal Dora so as to give the villagers right to own their property, purchase and sell land and take loans on it. “This scheme is being appreciated throughout the country and at present it is being run in eight states under the name of “Pradhan Mantri Swamitva Yojana’’, he added.
The CM said that the significant budgetary allocations and announcements for farmers, healthcare sector, affordable housing, and extension of Ujjawala scheme will have great synergies with the ongoing and planned efforts of the State Govt in these important areas.
Hailing the major announcement in the Union Budget-2021 related to the agriculture sector, Khattar said that increased outlay for agriculture credit to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, integration of 1000 more mandis with eNAM, MSP regime, enhancing the allocation to Rural Infrastructure Development Fund from Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore, agriculture infrastructure fund for APMCs for augmenting their infrastructure would help promote sustainable agriculture and realizing Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling the farmers income by 2022.
The CM also hailed the significant increase in allocation to the healthcare sector saying that it would lift the general well-being in the economy, adding that allocation is likely to be around Rs 2,23,846 crore, a rise of 137 per cent from the previous budget. He also highlighted the extension of tax exemption schemes in Affordable Housing and said that it could provide a good multiplier effect on the GDP. He said that exemption of senior citizens above 75 years of age and who have income only from pension and interest income from income tax filing is a welcome decision.
Khattar also praised Sitharaman for the announcement of Minimum wages to all categories of workers, allowing women to work in all categories and also in night shifts with adequate safety and also thanked the Union Finance Minister for several other significant announcements in the education sector including setting of Higher Education Commission, provision of Rs 50,000 crore for National Research Foundation, setting up 750 Eklavya model residential schools and upgradation of 15,000 Govt schools which would expand the reach and improve quality.
IT WILL CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SAYS DEPUTY CM
Haryana Deputy CM, Dushyant Chautala said the budget promises to create new employment opportunities, upgrading the education system, enhancement of health services, improvement in agriculture and rural sector and will strengthen the country’s infrastructure. Keeping in mind the challenges faced by every section of the society during Covid-19, a digital budget was presented to the people of the country for the first time in the history of India, which will lay the foundation of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, he added. Chautala said the future framework has been laid out in a planned manner to bring the economy affected due to COVID-19 back on track, with full focus on the infrastructure sector.
With the strengthening of this sector, new employment opportunities will also be created for the youth, he added. He said that this year, the target of completing 11,000 km of road construction and sanctioning of 8,500 km of new road projects will improve the country’s infrastructure, while youth will also be given jobs in the ongoing public projects in the states.
Welcoming the move to set up seven mega textile parks for the production and export in the textile industry of the country, he said that investment in the textile sector will boost the textile industry and employment opportunities will also increase.
He said that the budget for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has been doubled; this will give further impetus to the plan to establish clusters in all districts through the new MSME Directorate of the state. Similarly, scraping policy will create thousands of new jobs along with large investments. All schemes like new education policy, self-employment scheme will give employment a boost.