Small budget - High Hopes

1 Farmers to get loan upto 3 lakhs at 7%   41 Educational loan scheme revised 2 Will show gratitude to UPA allies.   42 Social security schemes need to be strengthened 3 Public sector turnover : Rs. 10,87,000 crores.   43 Agricultural credit disbursement has gone up. 4 60.4 lakh houses constructed in a year.   44 UPA gave highest priority to rural development. 5 Farmers debt waiver: Rs. 65300 cr till now   45 Outlay on higher education increased 900%. 6 55 loss making PSUs as against 72 when UPA took over   46 The RIDA corpus was hiked from Rs 5,500 to Rs 14,000 cr. 7 No tax changes in the Interim Budget   47 60.12 lakh houses built under Indira Awaas Yojna. 8 Defense spending up by 31%. Have allocated Rs 14,1703 cr in defense sector.   48 Industrial production fell by 2 per cent in December. 9 Food, fertiliser, petroluem subsidies to go up.   49 Export growth rate in first 9 months of 2008-09 touched 17.1%. 10 Rs 8,300 cr for mid-day meal scheme   50 UPA gave highest priority to rural development. 11 Infrastructure spending to be 9% of GDP by 2014   51 Social security schemes need to be strengthened. 12 Rs 1,200 crore for Total Sanitation Programme   52 Agriculture plan hiked by Rs 3,000 crore. 13 Rs 40,000 crore relief extended through tax cuts   53 Need to consider additional fiscal measures 14 To spend Rs 9.53 lakh cr in plan & non-plan expenditure 13,100 cr for primary education in Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan   54 Global situation in 2009 may be worse. 15 Tax collections in 2008-09 to exceed that of 2007-08.   55 Policy reforms in financial sector needed. 16 Economy grew at 9% for straight 3rd year.   56 Exports in dollar terms rose 26.4% in last 4 yrs. 17 Outlook for higher education rose by 900% in 11th five year plan.   57 Employment schemes need to be strengthened. 18 98% of habitation covered by elementary education.   58 GDP growth of 7.1% makes India second fastest growing economy. 19 Have taken steps to deepen and widen securities market   59 India has weathered the global crisis. 20 Need to accelerate policy reforms   60 Farm growth 3.7% in last 4 years. 21 Baharat Nirman programme gets rupees 40,900 crore   61 Govt successful in attracting foreign investors in infrastructure. 22 Agriculture outlook looks encouraging for 2009 if rainfall normal   62 UPA took prompt stimulus packages to check slowdown. 23 Planned allocation for agriculture up by 300% between 2004 and 2009   63 Govt approved 37 infrastructure projects. 24 Distortions in tax structure have been reduced   64 Grain production encouraging for coming year. 25 Tax rates must fall in times of slowdown.   65 Per capita income growth rate at 7% per annum for 4 years. 26 Record of FDI at 32.4 billion dollar in 2008-09   66 Fiscal, revenue deficit down, 6% of GDP. 27 Foreign trade at 35.5 % of GDP in 2007-08   67 Consistent 9 pc growth for 3 years for the first time. 28 Custom duties rates steadily reduced   68 Real heroes of Indias success stories are farmers 29 Govt may consider additional fiscal measures in budget   69 Annual growth rate of agriculture rose to 3.5 pc. 30 Gross domestic savings rate increased from 29.8% in 2003-04 to 30.7% in 2007-08   70 Communication grew at the rate of 26 per cent 31 Tax to GDP ratio increased from 9.2% 2003-04 to 4.5% 2007-08   71 Agriculture is the backbone of success 32 Foodgrain production increased by 10 million tonnes each year to all time high of 230 million tonnes in 2007-08   72 Govt focused on farms, jobs, fiscal devolution 33 Dividend contribution from PSUs increased by 86%   73 Extension on excise duty relief 34 PSU turnover up 84%   74 Higher spending on infrastructure 35 Pension scheme for widows, severely disabled launched   75 India gets ready for 12th Interim Budget 36 Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme for widows   76 This is the first Budget in the face of global meltdown 37 Widows to get priority in ITI   77 The export sector has lost 10 lakh jobs 38 Six new IIMs to be operational by 2010   78 Four lakh jobs lost in diamond industry alone 39 2 more IITs in MP, HP to start ops in 10   79 April-Dec export growth is at 17 pc 40 India cannot remain immune to global economic crisis