Focus on Infrastructure, Boost to Healthcare Sector, Two Important Features of Budget 2021: FM

Budget 2021: Agri Infra Cess will not result in price increase for end users as higher cess has been adjusted with lower customs duty, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in post-Budget presser. Also Read – Paperless as Well as Visionless, Nothing For Middle Class: Here’s Who Said What on Budget 2021

“This Budget comes at a time when all of us decided to give impetus to the economy and that impetus, we thought, would be qualitatively spent and give necessary demand push if we choose to spend big on infrastructure,” the FM said while hailing the Union Budget. Also Read – Budget 2021: Govt Allocates Rs 3,726 Crore Towards First Digital Census

“If there are two important features of this Budget, it is that we chose to spend big on infrastructure which spans across roads, power generation, bridges, ports and so on,” Sitharaman said. Also Read – ‘Jaan Bhi Aur Jahan Bhi’: PM Modi Hails Budget 2021, Says it Features Every Section of Society

“As a second feature, I tend to the need of the healthcare sector and even there, capacities for better health management had to be brought in in light of what we had gone through last year,” the Finance Minister added.

“Our fiscal deficit, which started at 3.5% during Feb 2020 has increased to 9.5% of GDP, so we have spent more and more. At the same time, we have given a clear glide path for deficit management,” the FM clarified.

“Accounting of government expenditure and revenue statements are now a lot more transparent and open,” she concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)