Budget 2019 LIVE: Piyush Goyal Announces Rs 6,000 Per Year Direct Cash Transfer to 12 Crore Farmers; National Cow Commission Coming Up

"Our soldiers are our pride and honour. Our defence budget for the first time has increased from Rs 3 lakh crore and additional funds will be provided," says Piyush Goyal.

Government will set up a national centre for artificial intelligence to look into AI programmes. It will also provide two percent loan relaxation for businesses registered as SMEs, says Piyush Goyal.

'Job Seeker is Now a Job Creater' | Finance Minister Piyush Goyal says that the 'job seeker is now a job creater'. "India is among the youngest nations of the world. PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana is training over 1 crore youths. More than 70 percent of the beneficiaries of the PM Mudra Yojana are women to help them set up businesses and other entrepreneurship related activities. Job seeker is now a job creator. Now, government offices and factories are not the only employers. The definition of employment and self employment is changing now. India is the hub of second largest start up," he says.

Free Cooking Gas Scheme a Success: Piyush Goyal | "We delivered 6 crore free cooking gas connection out of 8 crore poor. It will be completed by next year. Ujwala is a remarkable success story," says the Finance Minister.

Budget 2019 for Women and Nomadic Tribes | "A committee under NITI Aayog to complete the tasks of identifying nomadic and semi nomadic community not yet classified. Special strategies will be designed by the board to serve these communities. This time, we will move ahead from women development to women-led development," says Piyush Goyal.

Stocks Increase With Budget 2019 | With the farmer support announcements, stock of Mahindra & Mahindra, the market leader in tractors, is up nearly 2% on the BSE while that of Hero Motocorp the market leader in two-wheelers, stock is up by 3.35%. FMCG stocks have also rallied as Marico, HUL, ITC are up 1-2%.

"For workers who receive grevious injuries, they will now get Rs 6 lakh from Rs 2.5 lakh through EPFO," says Piyush Goyal. "Pradhan Shram Yogi Mandhar pension will be for organised sectors. Workers earning Rs 15,000 will get pension of Rs 3,000 after he attains the age of 60," he adds.

Gratuity Amount Increases from Rs 10 Lakh to 30 Lakh | For workers and labourers, Piyush Goyal says that a new pension scheme will come up to ensure an increase in centre's contribution by four percent. "The pension has been increased from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000. Gratuity payment limit has been increased from 10 lakh to 20 lakh," he says.

Hitting out at Modi government over sops for farmers, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha says, "After brutalizing the farmers for 5 years, a cosmetic support of just Rs 75,000 crores allocation for farmers. This is peanuts."

After brutalizing the farmers for 5 years, a cosmetic support of just Rs 75,000 crores allocation for farmers. This is peanuts. The Congress party will cover farmers and all poor people at a much higher level. #Budget2019

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 1, 2019

Govt to Set Up Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for Welfare of Cows | The Modi government has decided to set up 'Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog' for implementation of policies and schemes for welfare of cows. "Increase in allocation for fisheries and husbandary sector for GOKUL scheme. Government has decided to create a separate department for fisheries. Two percent relaxation in credit for will be given to farmers who are in animal husbandary," says Piyush Goyal.

Piyush Goyal on Farmers | Adding on government's relief for farmers ahead of Lok Sabha election, Piyush Goyal says, "The amount will be transferred directly to bank accounts of farmers in three equal installments. This programme will be funded 100 percent by the Central government. 12 crore farmer families will be directly impacted. Rs 75,000 crore will be borne by the Centre every year. The first installment will be issed soon after preparing a list. Rs 20,000 crore will be spent this financial year."

Sops for 12 Crore Farmers in Budget 2019 | "Farmers earlier did not get full cost for their produce. Farmers income has reduced over the years. Income support to farmers small and marginal faers Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (KISAN) has been approved. Famers owning 2 hectares and less will be provided with Rs 6,000 per annum directly into their accounts. There are nearly 12 crore such farmers,' says Piyush Goyal in a major incentive for farmers in Budget 2019.

Now, AIIMS to be Set Up in Haryana | "Prices of medicines as well as other surgical equipment like stents etc have significantly been brought down. The prices reduced for medicines, stems used in cardiac operations and knee replacements have helped families avail more benefits. I'm happy to announce that 22nd AIIMS will come up in Haryana," says FM Piyush Goyal.

Piyush Goyal on Health Facilities | Speaking on health facilities in India, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal says, "In the last five years, w have seen massive improvement in healthcare services with the launch of world's largest healthcare scheme Ayushman bharat for 50 crore people. Lakhs of poor and middle class have benefited from cheap medicines now available."

Govt on Funds for Rural Roads, Electricity | "We are allocating Rs 19,000 crore for rural roads under Gram Sadak Yojana. Rs 1.53 crore houses have been constructed under PMAY. Approximately every household has been provided electricity. Electricity bulbs worth Rs 143 crore have been provided. Rs 50,000 crore to be saved by houses by use of LED bulbs," says Piyush Goyal.

Govt Allocates Rs 60,000 Cr for MGNREGA | "We ensured that everybody gets food and nobody sleeps with an empty stomach. We have worked to bridge urban-rural divide in the country. We are allocating Rs 60,000 crore for MGNREGA. Under PM gram sadak yojana, construction of roads have been tripled. If need be, more money will be given for MNREGA," says Piyush Goyal.

Speaking on upper caste poor quota, Piyush Goyal says, "10 percent reservation has been brought in for economically weaker sections. The poor have the first right on government policies."

"As many as 5,85,000 villages have been declared open defecation-free. I want to thank the people of the country for the success of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. Swachh Bharat has been transformed from a government project to a national mission," says Piyush Goyal on government's mission of defecation-free India.
 

Piyush Goyal on Corruption-free Govt | Adding to the claim of a corruption-free government, Piyush Goyal says, "It's a new era of  graft-free regulation by bringing out RERA and many others. We conducted transparent transaction of natural resources, like coal. The fugitive economic offenders bill will prosecute economic offenders who have taken money and never returned them and fled the country."

"Earlier, only smaller businessmen were worried about returning loans but now even bigger business are having to pay back loans. Not just banks. We have ushered in a new era of transparency. We are a corruption free government," says Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

"We stopped activities that affected clean banking. We stopped malicious practices in loans being taken. Period of 2008 to 2014 was a period of aggressive credit growth," says Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

As Piyush Goyal presents Budget 2019, Congress' Divya Spandana takes a jibe at government over BJP's website.

Hey @BJP4India this is your website this morning. Who’s the treasurer of your party? Is it @PiyushGoyal you’re hiding behind this blank space? Why the secrecy? pic.twitter.com/tINUS8Jmm4

— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) February 1, 2019

"Fiscal deficit has been brought down to three percent from a high of 6 percent. We have reduced a family's expenditure by 40-45 percent. 2018-19 revised fiscal deficit target at 3.4%. Due to a stable regulatory regime we have attracted foreign investments. This has also been an era of liberalisation, where we majorly relaxed FDI norms," says FM Piyush Goyal.

"Humari sarkar ne kamar tod mehengai ki kamar hi tod di. We brought down inflation 2.12 percent. When we took over it was as high as 10.1 percent. India will be a country where farmers' income will double by 2022," says Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

Moving Towards New India by 2022: Goyal | "We are moving to realising a new India by 2022. In the last 5 years India has emerged a major economy in the last year. Our GDP numbers are higher than any developing economy," says Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

Piyush Goyal Presents Interim Budget | Finance Piyush Goyal takes stage amid ruckus as uses the term 'Interim Budget'. "I am deeply conscious of the absence of Arun Jaitley today. I wish him speedy recovery. We have reversed policy paralysis and restored country's image," he says.

Piyush Goyal Reads Out Budget Speech | Finance Minister Piyush Goyal begins to read out Budget 2019 speech. He wishes health for Union minister Arun Jaitley, who is in US for treatment as Modi government presents its last budget.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan arrives in Parliament. Opposition members create ruckus as Finance Minister Piyush Goyal is set to read out Budget 2019 speech.

The Indian auto industry has their own set of expectations from the budget and the focus is on three key areas -1) Electric Mobility 2) Stricter Emission Norms and 3) Emphasis on Road Safety.

Budget 2019 and Auto Industry | The BJP-led Government of India will present the final budget of its term in the Parliament on 1st February, 2019. Even though it is an interim budget, there are a lot of expectations from the Finance Ministry to woo every section of the society. The automobile industry has their own set of expectations from the budget and the focus is on three key areas -1) Electric Mobility 2) Stricter Emission Norms and 3) Emphasis on Road Safety.