Budget highlights – 6

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana lending target has been doubled at Rs 2.44 lakh crore for 2017-18

• 3,500 km railway lines to be commissioned in 2017-18 against 2,800 km in 2016-17

   

• Railways plan size for 2017-18 pegged at Rs. 1,31,000 crore, including Rs 55,000 crore to be provided by the government

• Using space technology in a big way to plan MGNREGA works

• During 2017-18, another 5 lakh ponds to be constructed for drought-proofing

• AadharPay, a merchant version of Aadhaar-enabled payment system to be launched shortly for those without debit cards, mobile phones

• Sanitation coverage in rural areas has gone up to 60 per cent

• Swachh Bharat Mission has made tremendous progress in promoting safe sanitation and ending open defectation

• By 2019 all passenger coaches of railways to be fitted with bio-toilets

• 1 crore houses to be completed by 2019 for houseless and those living in 'kacha' houses

• Rs 19,000 crore in 2017-18 for PMGSY; together with contribution from states, Rs 27,000 crore to be spent

• Total allocation for rural, agricultural & allied sectors for 2017-18 is a record Rs 1,87,223 crore, up 24 per cent from last year

• Target for agricultural credit in 2017-18 has been fixed at a record Rs 10 lakh crore

• Coverage of Fasal Bima Yojana to go up from 30 per cent of cropped area, to 40 per cent in 2017-18, 50 per cent in 2018-19

• NABARD to set up dedicated micro-irrigation fund to be set to achieve Per Drop More Crop mission

• Corpus of NABARD's long-term irrigation fund raised to Rs 40,000 crore

• Mini soil-testing labs in Krishi Vigyan Kendras to ensure 100 per cent coverage

• Highest ever allocation to MGNREGA at Rs 48,000 crore

*Merger of Railway Budget with Budget 2017 a historic step

• Transform, Energize and Clean India - #TECIndia - our agenda for the next year

• Advancement of budget will enable all ministries, departments to operationalize all schemes right from beginning of next fiscal

• Demonetisation aims to create a new normal, where the GDP would be bigger, cleaner and real

• Effects of demonetisation not expected to spill over to next year

• Firmly believe that GST, Demonetisation, built on JAM, will have an epoch-making impact on the lives of our people

• Demonetisation aims to create a new normal, where the GDP would be bigger, cleaner and real

• Recalls #MahatmaGandhi's words: A right cause never fails

• 3 challenges in current global scenario:Monetary stance of US FED Reserve, Commodity prices specially crude oil & retreat from globalisation

• We have moved from a discretionary administration to a policy-based administration

• Expectations included burning issues like inflation and price rise, issue of corruption & crony capitalism

• Our government was elected amidst huge expectations of people, the underlying theme of expectations being good governance

• Hope to resolve all issues regarding GST via consultations

• We are moving from informal to formal economy & the Government is now seen as a trusted custodian of public money