Budget 2021: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces voluntary vehicle scrapping policy in Parliament

New Delhi, Feb 01: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced about the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy that phases out old vehicles. The finance minister also announced fitness tests for personal vehicles after 20 years.

On Monday, FM Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2021-22, which was approved by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today.

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Sitharaman, who had in her first budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata', had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be "like never before".

It has to be a vision statement, a roadmap to get the world's fastest-growing major economy back on track.

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The finance minister also announced Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines in Union Budget 2021-22. "Government to provide Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccination in 2021-22; I am committed to providing more funds if required," she said.

"India now has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates of 112 per million population and one of the lowest active cases of about 130 per million. This has laid the foundation for the economic revival we see today," Sitharaman said in Parliament.

"Today India has two vaccines available and has begun safeguarding not only her own citizens against Covid-19 but also those of 100 or more countries. It has added comfort to know that 2 ore more vaccines are also expected soon," she added.