Govt Committed to Double Farmers' Income: Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, stated on Sunday that the Narendra Modi-led government is steadfast in its commitment to doubling farmers' income, maintaining amenities for the aspirant middle class, providing the poor with necessary support through budgetary means, and focusing on capital expenditure for asset creation.

She also noted that the Indian economy has changed from being among the 'fragile five' in 2013 to a shining star today.

The latter attended an event on Sunday, wherein she was asked if the repeal of three agriculture rules will ultimately harm farmers' interests, Sitharaman responded

In response to a question on whether the repeal of three agriculture rules will ultimately harm farmers' interests, Sitharaman responded, "I don't believe so, no. Regarding issues pertaining to the welfare of farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been steadfast, and all [reform] efforts will continue. There is no chance of turning around. There won't be any obstacles to this because the income of farmers has to double."

She claimed that some non-governmental foreign organizations try to harm India's reputation by disseminating untruths through polls. She said that government bodies are not foreign organizations that create these indices using secondary perceptions. Such indexes are frequently used to criticize the Indian government with prejudice, skewed data, and biased approaches.

In response to a query about budgetary benefits for the middle class, Sitharaman said that she also comes from a middle-class family and is able to comprehend middle-class difficulties. "I am aware since I consider myself to be middle-class. But I also want to highlight the government's previous efforts in this area", he added.

In the prior five Budgets, there hasn't been a new tax on the middle class as of yet. In addition, salaries up to Rs 5 lakh (per year) are tax-free, she added.

The minister hinted that the process of creating assets will continue in the forthcoming Budget by stating that the Modi government has been increasing the outlay on capital expenditure in each Budget since 2020. Sitharaman increased capital investment in her last budget for 2022–23 by 35% to 7.5 lakh crore, which had a multiplier effect on the economy.