Former MP hails Budget, says caters to ‘aam aadmi’

The Union Budget presented recently focuses on farmers, traders, youth, women and industrialists while also positioning India as a global economic powerhouse, said former Rajya Sabha Member Avinash Rai Khanna. while addressing a press conference at Phagwara on Thursday evening.

Khanna stated that the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary approach to economic development.

He highlighted that unlike previous governments, which offered only minor tax reliefs, the Modi government’s income tax exemptions would provide significant savings to taxpayers.

Medical education is set for a boost, with an increase in MBBS seats, potentially adding 150 new seats in Punjab. The power sector in Punjab will also receive Rs 2,300 crore in loan limit extensions, ensuring financial stability.

In a move to empower marginalised communities, the budget allocates Rs 2 crore in term loans for SC women, reflecting the Modi government’s commitment to social welfare. Additionally, the budget extends the Ayushman Bharat health insurance and pension schemes to one crore gig workers, including online e-commerce suppliers, to improve their financial security.

Terming it as a “pro-people and pro-Punjab budget”, Khanna urged all sections of society to come together to drive economic growth.

The press conference was attended by Kapurthala district president of the BJP Ranjit Singh Khojewal, former Union Minister Som Parkash, district general secretary Rajeev Pahwa, Tejasvi Bhardwaj, Naresh Koutrani, Ashu Puri, Balwinder Thakur, Sunil Madan, Sunny Bains, Deepak Malhotra and other party leaders.