NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday skipped mention of the Adani issue alike Prime Minister Modi’s silence, though the Supreme Court around the same time roped in the finance ministry she heads and SEBI to protect the Indian investors from the Adani type of financial onslaught.
She was replying to three days of the debate on Budget in the Lok Sabha. She assured the taxpayers right at the start that the new tax regime will leave higher disposable income in the hands of people.
Sitharaman also denied any redution in the allocations in various sectors. She said every eligible beneficiary of the PM-KISAN will continue to get benefit with the scheme providing them Rs 6,000 per year. She aid the Centre has also insulated the farmers from the rising fertiliser prices in the global markets by increasing subsidy. She said when the imported price went up, the Prime Minister cut excise duty to lower the burden.
The finance minister defended her budget proposals, speaking on them at length in more than 100 minutes of reply.
Refuting the Opposition’s charge of reduction in the food subsidy, the finance minister claimed it has been almost doubled to Rs 1.97 lakh crore compared to the current fiscal year.
