Focus of Budget on providing basic amenities to poor, middle class, youth: PM

New Delhi: The focus of the Union Budget is on providing basic amenities to the poor, middle class and youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, and asserted that it is imperative that India becomes self-reliant.

In his address on 'Aatmanirbhar Arthvyavastha' at a BJP event, he said that post-Covid, the possibility of a new world order is emerging and the initial indicators of it are already visible. A big change is coming in the way the world is viewing India, he said. "People, globally, want to see an empowered and strong India. It is imperative for us that we take our country forward at a rapid pace and strengthen it across several sectors," Modi said. It is very important that India not only becomes self-reliant but also that a modern India is built on the foundation of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

Leaving aside the political angle, the budget has been welcomed from all quarters, Modi said. This Budget focuses on providing basic amenities to the poor, middle class and youth, he said adding that his government is working on the saturation of basic facilities. Modi also said migration from border villages is not good for national security and the budget has provisions to develop 'vibrant villages' on the border. In the last seven years, the decisions taken are continuously enlarging the Indian economy, Modi said.

He said 7-8 years ago, India's GDP was Rs 1.10 lakh crore. Today, our GDP is nearly Rs 2.3 lakh crore. In a televised statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi had said the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was "people-friendly, progressive" and full of possibilities for infrastructure, investment, growth and jobs. Finance Minister Sitharaman unveiled a Rs 39.45 lakh crore budget, with higher spending on highways to affordable housing to fire up the key engines of the economy to sustain a world-beating recovery from the pandemic. While she primed up spending on infrastructure to create jobs and boost economic activity, Sitharaman did not tinker with income tax slabs or tax rates.