Budget 2017: Aadhaar based smart cards with health information for senior citizens

NEW DELHI: Railway safety fund to be created.

Jaitley says he is proud to present the first combined budget with railway budget.

Aadhaar based smart cards with their health information for senior citizens

Stepped up allocation to Rs. 1.84 lakh crore for women and children. Affordable housing will be given infrastructure status. The National Housing Bank will refinance Rs. 20,000 crore.

Govt has prepared an action plan for poor health. We have targeted the elimination of tuberculosis by 2025. 1.5 lakh health sub-centres will be transformed into health and wellness centres.

Proposed to introduce annual learning measurements in schools. Emphasis on science education and flexible curriculum to be a focus in education section. Propose to introduce measuring annual learning outcome in schools in 3,479 edu backward blocks. ICT enabled classrooms in 3,479 educationally backward blocks. Swayam platform to offer 350 online courses.

Rs. 1,87,223 cr allocation for rural, agri which is a record

Allocation on various employment schemes has been increased three times

Swach Bharat Yojana- sanitation coverage up from 42% to 60 per cent now in rural areas

Sanitation coverage in rural areas has gone up from 42 per cent in October 2013 to 60 per cent. ODF-free villages are now being given priority for piped water supply.

We will provide safe drinking water to 28,000 arsenic and fluoride contaminated areas over the next four years.

Target 100% village electrification by May 1, 2018

133 km roads made per day under PMGSY. Rs. 19,000 crore for PMGSY. One crore houses for houseless by 2019.

Participation of women in MNREGA increased to 55% in 2016-17 to less than 40%. MGNREGA to get Rs. 48,000 crore in 2017-18, the highest allocation ever. Space-technology to be used to make MGNREGA more effective

50,000 gram panchayats will be poverty-free by 2019. Our government has made a conscious effort to reorient MNGREGS. The target of 5 lakh ponds and 10 lakh compost pits for last year has been achieved. 2017-18 will have another 5 lakh ponds. Participation of women in MNREGS has increased to 55 per cent.

"Sowing farmers should feel secure against natural calamities. Towards this, I propose the Fasal Bima Yojana."

"Govt will provide a long term irrigation fund with a corpus of Rs. 40,000 crore. ENAM coverage will be expanded to 585 markets."

"Dairy Processing Infrastructure Development Fund will be set up with NABARD with an initial corpus of Rs. 2,000 crore."

Agriculture expected to grow at 4.1 % this fiscal. Total area sown under current rabi season higher than last year

Done away with Plan and non-Plan Budget.

Budget 2017 has three major reforms. Merger of Railway Budget with General Budget a historic step. Early Budget will help departments to operationalise projects

More spending in rural sector, infra and social welfare

Demonetisation will help in a cleaner, healthier GDP

My approach has been to spend more on rural, infrastructure, poverty alleviation

Ghabra ke na tham jaayie aap. . After quoting Bapu now some shero shaiyari from the Finance Minister.

Demonestisation is a decisive measure by the government.

Invokes Mahatma Gandhi. Says right cause never fails.

Drop in economic activity is only a transient impact. Demonetisation seeks to bring new normal, where GDP is bigger and cleaner.

On impact, there is early evidence of increased capacity of banks to lend at lower interest rates.

Remonetisation has picked up pace and will soon reach comfortable levels. . It aims to bring more saving, reduce corruption and promote digital economy.

Demonetisation and GST will have an epoch making path in our economy.

Demonetisation impact will not spill over to next year.

World Bank optimistic about India's growth.

Protectionist measures could impact exports from emerging countries

36% rise in FDI in first half of current fiscal to Rs 145,000 crore

CAD down to 0.3 % in HY 2016-17

11.18 a.m: India is now 6th largest manufacturing country in the world, up from 9th previously. We are seen as engine of global growth. India is among economies undertking transformational reforms.

11.18 a.m: 36% rise in FDI in first half of current fiscal to Rs. 145,000 crore

11.18 a.m: Protectionist measures could impact exports from emerging countries

11.15 a.m: We've moved from a discretionary based admn to a policy and system-based admin:

11.13 a.m.: CPI inflation has declined. Uncertainty of crude oil prices will create an impact on the global economy

Inflation has been controlled.

World economy facing considerable uncertainty

11.12 a.m: We've moved from a discretionary based admn to a policy and system-based administration. Massive war on Black Money has been launched, says Arun Jaitley.

11.11 a.m.: Positive signs for next year

11.10 am: Jaitley begins Budget speech

Brushing aside doubt in the wake of death of a sitting member, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today announced that he will present the Union Budget for 2017-18 as scheduled at 11 am.

“Watch me live presenting the Union Budget 2017 at 11 am, February 1, 2017,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted.

The tweet came as doubt was being cast over presentation of the Budget in the wake the death of former Union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed early this morning.

Some quarters even demanded putting off the Budget presentation till tomorrow following the tradition of Lok Sabha adjourning for the day as a mark of respect whenever a sitting MP passes away.

The government, however, felt that performing a constitutional duty did not mean any disrespect to the departed soul and there were two precedents where death of a sitting MP and minister did not prevent the then government from presenting the Budget on the scheduled day.

Sources said the government cited death of minister M B Rana on the Budget day on August 31, 1974. The then Speaker G S Dhillon decided to go ahead with the Budget presentation. Indira Gandhi was the prime minister then.

Also, on April 19, 1954, sitting member Jujhar Pal Sorein passed away on the day of presentation of the Railway Budget, but the House proceedings were held as scheduled.

Sources said that on both occasions, the Lok Sabha met in the morning and was adjourned for a few hours as mark of respect to the departed and the Budget was unveiled in the evening, in line with the schedule.

In those days, the Budget was presented in evening, usually at 5 pm.

The Budget presentation, the sources said, is likely after an obituary reference.

Also, all Budget papers are printed with today’s date, postponement will cause many hassles, the government argued.

Sources said Jaitley met President Pranab Mukherjee in the morning to fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting a go-ahead from the head of state for the Budget presentation.