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budget







         Other allocations
         The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yoja-
         na (PMGSY) is being allocated  19, 000
         crore in BE 2019-20 as against  15,500
         crore in 2018-19. During the period
         2014-18, a total number of 1.53 crore
         houses have been built under the Prad-
         han Mantri Awas Yojana, he announced.
         By March, 2019, all households will be
         provided with electricity connection.
         Till now, 143 crore LED bulbs have been
         provided in a mission mode which has
         resulted in saving of  50, 000 crore for
         the poor and middle class.
           Through the world’s largest health-
         care programme, Ayushman Bharat,
         to provide medical treatment to nearly
         50 crore people in the country, around
         10 lakh patients have already benefited
         through free treatment for medical
         treatment which would have other-
         wise cost them  3, 000 crore. Lakhs of
         poor and middle class people are also
         benefiting from reduction in the prices   • Pension tension  A pension scheme has been   tions of over  17, 500 crore have taken
         of essential medicines, cardiac stents   awarded to workers in the unorganised sector  place so far.
         and knee implants, and availability of
         medicines at affordable prices through                           Defence budget
         Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras,   madic and Semi-Nomadic communi-  The finance minister said that for
         the finance minister added. As many as   ties will be set up under the Ministry   the first time, the country’s Defence
         14 of the 21 AIIMS operating or being    of Social Justice and Empowerment.   Budget will be of over  3 lakh crore.
         established in the country presently   He said that a Committee under NITI   3, 05, 296 crore have been provided in
         have been announced since 2014. He   Aayog will also be set up to complete   the Budget Estimates for 2019-20, com-
         also announced setting up of a new -   the task of identifying De-notified, No-  pared to  2, 82, 733 crore provided in
         the 22nd AIIMS in Haryana.       madic and Semi-Nomadic communi-  2018-19 Budget Estimates. The figures
           Allocation for Integrated Child De-  ties not yet formally classified.  were revised to  2, 85, 423 crore in the
         velopment Scheme (ICDS) is being in-  Goyal said under the Ujjwala Yojana   Revised Estimates of 2018-19. While
         creased from  23, 357 crore in revised   aiming delivery of 8 crore free LPG   presenting the Interim Budget 2019-20
         estimates (RE) of 2018-19 to  27, 584   connections, more than 6 crore con-  in Parliament today the Union Minister
         crore in budget estimates (BE) 2019-20.   nections have already been given and   for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Rail-
         A substantial increase is proposed in   the remaining will get free gas connec-  ways and Coal Piyush Goyal said “Our
         the allocation for welfare of the Sched-  tions by next year. The finance minister   Defence Budget will be crossing
         uled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The   announced that a National Artificial   3, 00, 000 crore for the first time in
         allocation of  56, 619 crore made in BE   Intelligence Portal will also be devel-  2019-20. For securing our borders and
         of 2018-19 for Scheduled Caste, further   oped soon as a part of the National Pro-  to maintain preparedness of the high-
         increased to  62, 474 crore is proposed   gramme on ‘Artificial Intelligence’. The   est order, if necessary, additional funds
         to be enhanced to  76, 801 crore in BE   Department of Industrial Policy and   would be provided.”
         for 2019-20, an increase of 35.6 per cent   Promotion will now be renamed as the   On the issue of strengthening De-
         over BE of 2018-19. For the Scheduled   Department for Promotion of Indus-  fence and National Security, the Interim
         Tribes also, proposed allocation in 2019-  tries and Internal Trade.  Budget 2019-20 states that our soldiers
         20 BE is  50, 086 crore as against  39,   The Finance Minister stated that the   protect our borders in tough conditions
         135 crore in BE 2018-19, an increase of   government e-Marketplace (GeM), cre-  and they are our pride and honour. The
         28 per cent. The Finance Minister said   ated by the present Government two   Finance Minister Sh. Goyal said that
         that a Welfare Development Board to   years ago, resulted in average savings   due care has been taken of their hon-
         frame special strategies for the benefit   of 25-28 per cent and the platform will   our. He said that the issue of One Rank
         of the hard-to-reach De-notified, No-  now be extended to all CPSEs. Transac-  One Pension (OROP) which was pend-



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