Highlights: India unveils budget aimed at tackling rural distress

By Alasdair Pal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India on Friday unveiled an interim budget with giveaways for rural citizens, in what is being seen as a critical test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is facing anger over depressed farm incomes and unemployment with a general election just months away.

Here are the highlights of interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's budget for the 2019/20 fiscal year beginning April 1.

RURAL AFFAIRS

- India to allocate 750 billion rupees ($10.56 billion) per year to support farmers' incomes

- Impact of 200 billion rupees in current fiscal year

- Vulnerable farmers to receive 6,000 rupees per year under new scheme

 

- Government to allocate 600 billion rupees for a rural employment scheme in 2019/20

- India to allocate 190 billion rupees for construction of rural roads in 2019/20

ECONOMICS

- India's current account deficit for 2018/19 seen at 2.5 pct of GDP

- Fiscal deficit for 2018/19 seen at 3.4 percent of GDP

- Goyal says expects other banks on the central bank's Prompt Corrective Action list to be removed soon

($1 = 71.0420 Indian rupees)

(Complied by by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Krishna N. Das)