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budget




         Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs,   lies, having cultivable land upto 2 hec-  animal husbandry and fisheries, who
         Railways & Coal, Piyush Goyal. Besides   tares, will be provided direct income   avail loan through Kisan Credit Card.
         having a major Scheme for the farmers,   support at the rate of  6,000 per year.   Further, in case of timely repayment
         it provides tax sops and sets the Devel-  This income support will be transferred   of loan, they will also get an additional
         opmental Agenda for the years to come.   directly into the bank accounts of ben-  3 per cent interest subvention.
         A new deal for 12 crore small and mar-  eficiary farmers, in three equal instal-  Allocation of  750 crore for Rashtri-
         ginal farmers with direct income sup-  ments of  2,000 each. This programme   ya Gokul Mission has been announced
         port, a path breaking pension initiative   will be funded by Government of India.   for the current year itself. Setting up
         for 10 crore unorganised sector work-  Around 12 crore small and marginal   of  “Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog” to
         ers, exempting income up to  5 lakhs   farmer families are expected to benefit   upscale sustainable genetic upgrada-
         from Income Tax, reforms in stamp   from this. The programme would be   tion of cow resources and to enhance
         duty, highest ever budgetary allocation   made effective from 1st December 2018   production and productivity of cows
         of  3 lakh crore for Defence, record al-  and the first installment for the period   has also been announced. The Aayog
         location of funds at  58,166 crore for   upto 31st March 2019 would be paid   will also look after effective implemen-
         North Eastern Areas, a new AIIMS for   during this year itself. This programme   tation of laws and welfare schemes
         Haryana, single window clearance for   will entail an annual expenditure of    for cow.
         Indian film makers at par with foreign-  75,000 crore”. PM-KISAN would not   To provide pensionary benefits to
         ers and higher budgetary allocations   only provide assured supplemental   at least 10 crore labourers and work-
         for Education, Health, Infrastructure                            ers in the unorganised sector a new
         and for the welfare of weaker sections                           Scheme called Pradhan Mantri Shram
         including Scheduled Castes and Sched-                            Yogi Maandhan is announced.  The
         uled Tribes, a Separate Department of   Railways, as per         Finance Minister said that within next
         Fisheries for welfare of 1.5 crore fisher-  Goyal, saw its safest   five years it would be one of the largest
         man are some of the major highlights of                          pension schemes of the world. A sum
         the Interim Budget 2019-20.       year in the history            of  500 crore has been allocated for
                                           in 2018-19 and the             the Scheme. Additional funds will be
         Schemes for farmers                                              provided as needed, Goyal added. The
         New Scheme — Pradhan Mantri Kisan   carrier has removed          scheme will also be implemented from
         Samman Nidhi (PN-KISAN) to extend                                the current year, he said.
         direct income support at the rate of   all unmanned railway
         Rs. 6,000 per year to farmer families,   crossing across all     Tax benefits
         having cultivable land upto 2 hectares                           Individual taxpayers having taxable
         is announced. While presenting the   the broad gauge             annual income up to  5 lakhs will not
         Interim Budget 2019-20, Piyush Goyal   tracks in the country     be required to pay any income tax. The
         said, “Our government is launching a                             Finance Minister said that persons hav-
         historic programme PM-KISAN with                                 ing gross income up to  6.50 lakhs are
         an outlay of  75,000 crore for the finan-                        not required to pay any income tax if
         cial year 2019-20 and  20,000 crore   income to the most vulnerable farmer   they make investments in provident
         in the Revised Estimates of 2018-19”.    families, but would also meet their   funds, specified savings and insur-
         Under this Government of India fund-  emergent needs especially before the   ance etc. Additional deductions such
         ed Scheme,  2,000 each will be trans-  harvest season. PM-KISAN would pave   as interest on home loan up to  2 lakh,
         ferred to the bank accounts of around   the way for the farmers to earn and live   interest on education loans, National
         12 crore small and marginal farmer   a respectable living.       Pension Scheme contributions, medi-
         families, in three equal installments.   To provide sustained and focused   cal insurance and medical expenditure
         This programme would be made effec-  attention towards development of   on senior citizens etc, are also provided
         tive from 1st December 2018 and the   Fisheries, the Government has de-  for in the Interim Budget 2019-20. Thus
         first installment for the period upto 31st   cided to create a separate Department   tax benefit of  18,500 crore is proposed
         March 2019 would be paid during this   of Fisheries. Finance Minister said that   to be provided to an estimated 3 crore
         year itself.                     through the measure, the government   middle class and small taxpayers com-
           To provide an assured income sup-  wants to promote further growth over   prising self employed, small business,
         port to the small and marginal farm-  7 per cent to promote livelihood of   small traders, salary earners, pension-
         ers, the government is launching the   about 1.45 crore people dependent on   ers and senior citizens.
         Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi   the sector. The finance minister an-  For salaried persons, Standard
         (PM-KISAN). Under this programme,   nounced 2 per cent interest subvention   Deduction is being raised from the
         vulnerable landholding farmer fami-  to the farmers pursuing the activities of   current  40,000 to  50,000. This will



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