Budget will give wings to aspirations of poor: Amit Shah

BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday welcomed the Union Budget 2018-19, saying it will give wings to the aspirations of the poor.

"This budget gives new wings to the aspirations of the poor, farmers and the middle class. The New India Budget will truly empower all sections of the society to attain prosperity," Shah tweeted.

Addressing reporters later, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President said the announcements will take development to the poor.

"This budget will take the development story forward. It has many decisions which will take development to the poor of the country.

"The record allocation to the rural sector and agriculture will lead to unprecedented rural development and agricultural growth. Consistent focus on rural development and agriculture has been a hallmark of our government," he said.

Lauding the announcements made for farmers, Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the announcement of raising Minimum Support Price (MSP) to 1.5 times of the costs incurred.

"This shows our commitment to the farmers and our aim of doubling farmer incomes."

He also lauded the scheme for providing health insurance to 10 crore poor households with an annual cover of Rs 5 lakh.

"Ayushman Bharat is an unparalleled initiative to ensure health insurance as well as health assurance. Protecting 10 crore families, about 40 per cent of India's population with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family is a global first," Shah said.

--IANS

ao/him/bg