Thrust on strengthening rural, agri sectors, says Amit Shah on budget 2016

NEW DELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah today praised the budget for its focus on rural India and farmers, calling many of its measures "historic".

With the party working overtime to shake off opposition's criticism of Modi government over its alleged corporate bias and overlooking of rural India, Shah asserted that this is the first budget since Independence that has focused so much on "villages, farmers and poor".

"The thrust of the budget is towards strengthening rural and agriculture sectors and boosting employment-generation.... There is a lot of focus on agriculture. There is a proposal to double farmers' income by 2022, " Shah told reporters after the budget was tabled in Parliament.

He cited the allocation of Rs 2.70 lakh crore to local bodies, decision to electrify all villages by May 01, 2018 and allocation of over Rs 19,000 crore for Pradham Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna to emphasise the focus on rural India and called it historic.

The money to be spent on rural development is 228 per cent more, he stressed, adding that the Mudra scheme for boosting self-employment had benefited over 2 crore people and the allocation for it has been increased to Rs 1.8 lakh crore.

"Families will get health insurance of Rs 1 lakh for free. This is a big step.... More than Rs 2000 crore will be spent on giving LPG connection to 1.5 crore families and it will help rural women in a big way," he said.

Shah also referred to budgeted expenditure of over Rs 2.21 lakh crore on national and state highways.

"I hail the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister on the behalf of BJP," he said.