A
massive mission announced to provide LPG connection to poor households
New
Health Protection Scheme to provide Health cover upto Rs. 1 lakh per family
1500
Multi Skill Training Institutes to be set up
Emphasis
on Infrastructure Development
Total expenditure
projected at Rs. 19.78 lakh crore
Major
focus on agriculture and farmers’ welfare, massive mission to provide LPG
connection to poor households, a new health protection scheme, increased outlay
for infrastructure, Rs. 2.87 Lakh crore Grant in Aid to Gram Panchayats and
Municipalities, setting up of 1500 Multi Skill Training Institutes and
incentives for jobs creation are major highlights of the General Budget 2016-17
presented in Lok Sabha today by Union Finance Minister Sh. Arun Jaitley. Announcing
a number of new schemes and increasing the allocation in various sectors Sh.
Jaitley underlined that the Government is firm on its course towards fiscal
consolidation without compromising on its development agenda. He said 3.5%
fiscal deficit is targeted for FY 2016- 17.
Stating
that the IMF has hailed India as a ‘bright spot’ amidst a slowing global
economy, the Finance Minister said the growth of GDP has now accelerated to
7.6% compared to the last three years of the previous Government when growth
had decelerated to 6.3% . He said this was accomplished despite two consecutive
years of monsoon shortfall of 13% compared to normal rainfall in the last three
years of the previous Government. He added that the country’s external
situation is robust and the Current Account deficit has declined from 18.4%
billion US dollars in the first half of last year to 14.4 billion this year.
While
cautioning about the risks of further global slowdown and mounting turbulence,
he said this complicates the task of economic management for India. He said the
financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 have been and will be extremely challenging
for Government expenditure. He said the next financial year will cast an
additional burden on account of the recommendations of the 7th
Central Pay Commission and the implementation of Defence OROP. Stating that the
Government has to prioritise its expenditure, Sh. Jaitley said the Government
wants to enhance expenditure in the farm and rural sector, the social sector,
the infrastructure sector and provide for recapitalisation of the banks.
The
Finance Minister said that the Government will undertake three major schemes to
help the weaker sections. He said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has
already been announced. The farmer will pay a nominal amount of insurance
premium and get the highest ever compensation in the event of any loss
suffered. Sh. Jaitley announced a health insurance scheme which will protect
one-third of India’s population against hospitalization expenditure. He also announced
that the Government is launching a new initiative to ensure that the BPL
families are provided with a cooking gas connection, supported by a Government
subsidy.
Shri
Jaitley said the Government will undertake significant reforms such as the enactment
of a law to ensure that all Government benefits are conferred upon persons who
deserve it, by giving a statutory backing to the AADHAR platform. He added that
significant changes will be brought in the legislative framework relating to
the transport sector so as to free it from constraints and restrictions. Other
important reforms, the Finance Minister announced included incentivizing gas
discovery and exploration by providing calibrated marketing freedom; enactment
of a comprehensive law to deal with resolution of financial firms; providing
legal framework for dispute resolution in PPP projects and public utility
contracts; undertaking important banking sector reforms and public listing of
general insurance companies and undertaking significant changes in FDI policy.
The
Finance Minister said the agenda for the next year will be to ‘Transform India’
in this direction. He highlighted that the budget proposals are built on this
transformative agenda with nine distinct pillars which include: Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare; Rural Sector; Social Sector including Healthcare; Education,
Skills and Job Creation; Infrastructure and Investment; Financial Sector
Reforms; Governance and Ease of Doing Business; Fiscal Discipline and Tax
Reforms.
Sh.
Jaitley announced that the Government will reorient its interventions in the
farm and non-farm sectors to double the income of the farmers by 2022. He said
total allocation for Agriculture and farmers’ Welfare is Rs. 35,984 crore.
Stating that the ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana’ has been strengthened
and will be implemented in mission mode, he said 28.5 lakh hectares will be
brought under irrigation under this Scheme. He also underlined that the
implementation of 89 irrigation projects under AIBP, which have been languishing
will be fast tracked.
The
Finance Minister announced creation of a dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund in
NABARD with an initial corpus of about Rs. 20,000 crore. To achieve all these,
a total provision of Rs. 12,517 crore has been made through budgetary support
and market borrowings in 2016-17. He also said, simultaneously a major
programme for sustainable management of ground water resources has been
prepared with an estimated cost of Rs. 6,000 crore and proposed for
multilateral funding. The Minister said at least 5 lakh farm ponds and dug
wells in rain fed areas and 10 lakh compost pits for production of organic
manure will be taken up by making use of allocations under MGNREGA.
Sh.
Jaitley said the Soil Health Card Scheme will cover all 14 crore farm holdings
by March 2017. He said 2,000 model retail outlets of fertilizer companies will
be provided with soil and seed testing facilities during the next three years.
The
Finance Minister announced that the allocation under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana has been increased to Rs. 19,000 crore and it will connect remaining
65,000 eligible habitations by 2019.
In
the budget special focus has been given to ensure adequate and timely flow of
credit to the farmers. Against the target of Rs. 8.5 lakh crore in 2015-16, the
target for agricultural credit in 2016-17 will be an all-time high of Rs. 9
lakh crore. To reduce the burden of loan repayment on farmers, a provision of
Rs. 15,000 crore has been made in the BE 2016-17 towards interest subvention.
The
Finance Minister informed that for effective implementation of Prime Minister
Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs. 5,500 crore have been provided in the Budget 2016-17. He
said to make dairying more remunerative to the farmers, four new projects will
be taken up: First the ‘Pashudhan Sanjivani’, an animal wellness programme and
provision of Animal Health Cards (‘Nakul Swasthya Patra’); Second , an Advanced
breeding technology; Third, Creation of ‘E-Pashudhan Haat’, an e market portal
for connecting breeders and farmers; and Fourth, a National Genomic Centre for
indigenous breeds. These projects will be implemented at a cost of Rs. 850
crores over the next few years.
Regarding
rural sector, Sh. Jaitley announced that a sum of Rs. 2.87 lakh crore will be
given as Grant in Aid to Gram Panchayats and Municipalities. It will translate
to an average assistance of over Rs. 80 lakh per Gram Panchayat and over Rs. 21
crore per Urban Local Body.
Sh.
Jaitley said every block under drought and rural distress will be taken up as an
intensive Block under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Mission. He announced allocation
of Rs. 38,500 crore for MGNREGS. He said 300 Rurban Clusters will be developed
under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission. He declared that the
Government is committed to 100% village electrification by 1st May,
2018. Regarding Swachh Bharat Mission, Sh. Jaitley said Rs. 9,000 crore has
been provided for it. He said a new Digital Literacy Mission Scheme for rural
India will cover around 6 crore additional households within the next 3 years.
In order to develop governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions on
the Sustainable Development Goals, the Minister announced a new scheme namely
‘Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan”, for which Rs. 655 crore is being set apart. For
rural development as a whole, Rs. 87,765 crore have been allocated.
The
Finance Minister announced a massive mission to provide LPG connection in the
name of women members of poor households for which Rs. 2000 crore have been
earmarked. This will benefit about 1 crore 50 lakh households below the poverty
line in 2016-17. The Scheme will be continued for at least two more years to
cover a total of 5 crore BPL households.
Sh.
Jaitley also announced a new health protection scheme which will provide health
cover up to Rs. One lakh per family for economically weak families. For senior
citizens of age 60 years and above belonging to this category, an additional
top-up package up to Rs. 30,000 will be provided. In order to make quality
medicines available at affordable prices, 3000 stores under Prime Minister’s
Jan Aushadhi Yojana will be opened during 2016-17. He said that a ‘National
Dialysis Services Programme’ will be started to provide dialysis services in
all district hospitals.
In
the area of education, the Finance Minister said allocation under Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan will be increased. 62 new Navodaya Vidyalayas will be opened in the
remaining uncovered districts over the next two years. In order to empower
Higher Educational Institutions to help them become world class teaching and
research institutions, an enabling regulatory architecture will be provided to
ten public and ten private institutions to emerge as world-class Teaching and
Research Institutions. The Finance Minister said that the Government has
decided to set up a Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) with initial
capital base of Rs. 1,000 crore.
The
Finance Minister while laying emphasis on skill development said the Government
wants to bring entrepreneurship to the doorsteps of youth through Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). 1500 Multi Skill Training Institutes will
be set up for which Rs. 1700 crore have been set aside.
Shri
Jaitley said that in order to incentivize creation of new jobs in the formal
sector, the Government will pay the Employee Pension Scheme contribution of
8.33% for all new employees enrolling in EPFO for the first three years of
their employment. This will incentivize the employers to recruit unemployed
persons and also to bring into the books the informal employees.
The
Finance Minister laid special emphasis on Infrastructure and Investment. He
said the process of road construction has speeded up. An allocation of Rs.
55,000 crore in the Budget for Roads and Highways has been proposed which will
be further topped up by additional Rs. 15,000 crore to be raised by NHAI
through bonds. The total investment in the road sector including PMGSY
allocation would be 97,000 crore during 2016-17. He said together with the
capital expenditure of the Railways, the total outlay on roads and railways
will be Rs. 2,18,000 crore. He said 10,000 kms. of National Highways are
expected to be approved in 2016-17. He further said abolition of permit-raj
will be the medium term goal. The Government will enact necessary amendments in
the Motor Vehicles Act and open up the road transport sector in the passenger
segment. Shri Jaitley said, an enabling eco-system will be provided for the
States which will have the choice of adopting the new legal framework.
In
the port sector, the Finance Minister said the Sagarmala Project has already
been rolled out. The Government is planning to develop new greenfield ports.
The work on National Waterways is also being expedited. He said Rs. 800 crore
has been provided for these initiatives.
In
the Civil Aviation Sector action plan is being drawn up to revive unserved and
underserved airports. There are about 160 airports and air strips with the
State Governments which can be revived at an indicative cost of Rs. 50 crore to
Rs. 100 Crore each.
In
the power sector, he said the Government is drawing up a comprehensive plan,
spanning next 15 to 20 years to augment the investment in nuclear power
generation.
To
augment infrastructure spending further, the Government will permit
mobilization of additional finances to the extent of Rs. 31,300 crore by NHAI,
PFC, REC, IREDA, NABARD and Inland Water Authority through raising of Bonds.
The
Minister announced reforms in FDI Policy in the areas of Insurance and Pension,
Asset Reconstruction Companies, Stock Exchanges etc. He said 100% FDI will be
allowed through FIPB route in marketing of food products produced and
manufactured in India. The Minister said a new policy for management of
Government investment in Public Sector Enterprises, including disinvestment and
strategic sale has been approved.
Shri
Jaitley announced a number of financial sector reforms. A comprehensive Code on
Resolution of Financial Firms will be introduced as a Bill in the Parliament
during 2016-17. He said the RBI Act 1934 is being amended to provide statutory
basis for a Monetary Policy Framework and a Monetary Policy Committee through
the Finance Bill 2016. A Financial Data Management Centre will also be set up.
Expressing
concern over problem of stressed assets in Public Sector Banks, the Minister
said several steps have been taken in this regard. He said to support the
banks, an allocation of Rs. 25,000 crore is being proposed towards
recapitalization of Public Sector Banks.
Stating
that the Government is giving unparalleled emphasis to good governance, Shri
Jaitley said a task force has been constituted for rationalization of human
resources in various Ministries. He added a comprehensive review and
rationalization of autonomous bodies is also underway. The Minister said a bill
will be introduced for Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies
Benefits and Services by using the Aadhar framework. He said it is proposed to
introduce DBT on pilot basis for fertilizer in a few districts across the
country. The Minister said automation facilities will be provided in 3 lakh
Fair Price Shops by March 2017.
Shri
Jaitley announced that “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” programme will be launched
to link States and Districts in an annual programme that connects people
through exchanges in areas of language, trade, culture, travel and tourism.
On
the fiscal situation in the country the Minister said the prudence lies in
adhering to the fiscal targets. Consequently, he said, the fiscal deficit in RE
2015-16 and BE 2016-17 have been retained at 3.9% and 3.5% of GDP respectively.
He added a redeeming feature of this year’s Budget is that the Revenue Deficit
target has been improved upon from 2.8% to 2.5% of GDP in RE 2015-16.
The
total expenditure in the Budget for 2016-17 has been projected at Rs. 19.78
lakh crore, consisting of Rs. 5.50 lakh crore under Plan and Rs. 14.28 lakh
crore under Non-Plan.
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DSM/GB/MA/rv/2016-17