Dy CM hails Union Budget proposals

JAMMU:  Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Kumar Singh today hailed the Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as “path-breaking”, and described it as “pro-poor, pro-farmer, welfare and growth-oriented budget.”

Mr Singh said it has something for every section of the society and praised it for the goal to double the income of farmers in five years and the provision of Rs 35984 crore for their welfare.

He said special efforts made to ensure adequate flow of credit to the under-serviced areas of Jammu & Kashmir are encouraging as target for agricultural credit in 2017-18 has been fixed at a record level of Rs 10 lakh crore.

He said that the Budget will help de-stress the distressed rural sector. The proposals to set apart Rs 9 lakh crore for farm credit; Rs 5,500 crore for crop insurance scheme; dedicated irrigation fund worth Rs 20,000 crore under NABARD; highest ever compensation in case of crop loss under the “Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana” and allocation of Rs 412 crore for encouraging organic farming would open new opportunities for the farmers,”

Singh said that the proposals to have a unified agriculture market e-platform, allocation of the highest-ever Rs 48,000 crore to MNREGA is highly appreciable. He further said that about 5 lakh crore allocation on infrastructure is historic and will allow liquidity with banks to be invested in national interest.

The Dy CM also said that Job intensive housing sector gets a boost & will provide houses for poor and middle class, generating more employment

Hailing the transparent political funding, Singh said that it will weed out cancer of corruption and black money and cleanse polity.