Finance minister Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2016-17 in Parliament on Monday. Here are the key highlights of his speech:
Agriculture and farmers’ welfare:
•Look to double farmer income by 2020
•Govt will reorient interventions in farming sector; we need to optimally utilize water resources
•28.5 lakh hectares will be brought under irrigation
•A dedicated irrigation fund with Rs.20,000 crore under Nabard
•Major programme for sustainable groundwater management
•Govt to set apart Rs.412 crore to encourage organic farming
•Access to market is critical for farmers
•Implementing Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana as never before—scheme to be allocated Rs.19,000 crore in FY17; Rs.27,000 crore in total—to advance completion target to 2019 from 2022
•To support farmers after calamities, special focus has been given to ensure timely flow of credit, target is Rs.9 trillion in FY17