Live updates: Natural farming will be promoted along Ganga river corridor, says FM

Team Udayavani, Feb 1, 2022, 11:40 AM IST

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has started her Budget speech by remembering all those lives that were lost owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the country’s economic growth is expected at 9.2 per cent in the current financial year, on the back of a sharp rebound in the economy.

She also said virtuous cycle of investment is expected to revive on account of capex (capital expenditure) and crowd in private investment.

”Government focus since 2014 is on poor and marginalised. The government strives to provide necessary ecosystem to middle class,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech 2022-23.

She further added, “We are in the middle of the Omicron wave, but the speed of our vaccination campaign has helped greatly. I am confident that via ‘Sabka Prayaas’, we’ll continue with strong growth.”

A Rs 6,000-crore programme to rate MSMEs will be rolled out over the next five years, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.

As part of initiatives to promote digital infrastructure, a desh stack e-portal will be launched, she noted in her presentation of the Union Budget for 2022-23. Moreover, startups will be promoted for Drone Shakti, she added.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed to introduce 400 new Vande Bharat trains and said contracts for multi-modal parks at four locations will be awarded next fiscal.

She also said that a rationalised scheme to increase domestic oilseed production will be brought in to cut down imports.

”One product one railway station will be popularised, 400 new Vande Bharat trains to be introduced,” Sitharaman said in her Budget 2022-23 speech.

She added that 100 PM Gati Shakti terminals would be set up in the next three years.

Natural farming will be promoted along Ganga river corridor, said FM.