The interim Union Budget will benefit almost half the population of the country, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said and termed it a wonderful annual budget.
“This is only an interim budget and just a trailer for the full budget coming in July,” he said, addressing a press conference, here on Saturday. For the first time after the Independence the defence budget was raised to ₹3 lakh crore giving impetus and confidence to the armed forces. Exemption of personal income tax up to ₹ 5 lakh was a bold step and would benefit a record number of 3.50 crore middle class people, he added.
Yet another bold step in the budget was introduction of pension scheme for people working in the unorganised sector. Under the scheme those working in the unorganised sector and have attained 60 years of age would get ₹3,000 per month, he said adding that the scheme would cover some 30 crore people.
Mr. Madhav said that the UPA regime shattered the economy with its economic policies and corrupt practices but Modi led NDA government corrected all those and strengthened the economy. “We are confident about our victory as people are eagerly waiting to see Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the second time as he performed well in the last five years. Modi has no match in the Opposition, and hence we are confidently saying we would introduce next budget,” he declared.
Referring to his party defeat in the Assembly elections in the State, he said that there was a typical political atmosphere in the State and all the Opposition parties got defeated because of the advanced elections. However, efforts were on to strengthen the party for Parliament polls, he said. BJP national president Amit Shah would come to Nizamabad to participate in the party cluster meeting of five Lok Sabha constituencies on February 13.
Party State president K. Laxman, former MLAs Y. Laxminarayana and Dharma Rao, L. Bhoopathi Reddy, district president P. Ganga Reddy and others were present.