Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to deliver her budget speech for the sixth consecutive year on February 1. Since this budget will only be an interim one, it is unlikely to contain any significant announcements. The whole budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be presented by the next government that will be formed after the Lok Sabha elections.
From 2014’s “Achhe din” to “New India 2022” – Modi government is known for coining catchphrases for its various schemes. The Opposition has flatly rejected some major budget announcements, labelling them as ‘Modi’s jumlas’. Let’s examine some of the popular budgetary announcements made by the Modi government and how they have fared so far.
Kisan Rail
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to set up a ‘Kisan Rail’ through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode for a cold supply chain to transport perishable goods in her Budget 2020-21 speech, and the government formed a committee under the Ministry of Agriculture that also included representatives of the Indian Railways to work out the modalities of ‘Kisan Rail’.
Kisan Rail has transported 7.9 lakh tonnes of perishables between August 7, 2020, and January 31, 2023, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while replying to a question in Lok Sabha.
The minister further added that potential circuits for the movement of Kisan Rail have been identified in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the various departments of state governments. Local bodies and agencies, such as Mandis, have also been involved in it to provide rakes on priority for the running of Kisan Rail services, he said.
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TB Harega Desh Jeetega
In her second Budget 2020–21 speech, Sitharaman launched a campaign to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, – ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega’ campaign. Noticeably, India set this goal five years ahead of the global goal of 2030. But the efforts were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 66 million lives since the year 2000. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress made in the fight to end TB. For the first time in over a decade, TB deaths increased in 2020,” the WHO said in a statement.
India has made good progress on this front, and its efforts were acknowledged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its Global TB Report 2023
“The treatment coverage has improved to 80 per cent of the estimated TB cases, an increase of 19 per cent over the previous year,” the report said
India’s efforts have resulted in the reduction of tuberculosis incidence by 16 per cent in 2022 from 2015, almost double the pace at which global TB incidence is declining (which is 8.7 per cent), it said, adding that mortality due to the disease has also reduced by 18 per cent during the same period in India.
The report noted that India’s intensified case detection strategies have resulted in the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, during which over 24.22 lakh TB cases were notified, surpassing the pre-COVID levels.
National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)
The National Technical Textiles Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2020-21, with an outlay of Rs 1,480 crore, which aimed at positioning India as a global leader in technical textiles. Research, innovation and development, marketing and market development, export promotion and education, and training and skill development are the pillars of the mission.
By 2030, the technical textiles market in India is expected to reach $40 billion, said Rajeev Saxena, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, last year in November. Saxena further added that India is aiming to increase its share of the export of technical textile products to $10 billion from the current $2.5 billion in the next seven years. Hence, the National Technical Textile Mission has been extended until 2026. “We do not have high-performance fibre. We import our needs,” the Hindu quoted Rajeev Saxena as saying. He further added that the Centre has already allocated Rs 1,000 crore under the Mission for research and development, and so far, 126 projects with a total value of Rs 371 crore have been approved. But the industry needs to invest more, Saxena added.
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‘Vivad Se Vishwas’ scheme
The Vivad Se Vishwas’ scheme is aimed at reducing litigation in direct tax payments. While announcing the scheme in her Union Budget 2020–21 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, “Taxpayers in whose cases appeals are pending at any level can benefit from this scheme.”
“A taxpayer would be required to pay only the amount of the disputed taxes and will get a complete waiver of interest and penalty provided he pays by 31st March, 2020,” she had said. “I hope that taxpayers will make use of this opportunity to get relief from the vexatious litigation process,” she added.
Vivad se Vishwas Scheme has helped the government settle festering tax disputes and collect around Rs 54,000 crore. It became so successful that the government launched the “Vivad se Vishwas 2″ scheme last year to provide resolution in cases of contractual disputes involving the government and government undertakings.
Under its new version, the government settled cases worth Rs 2,302 crore, in 2023, the Finance Ministry said. The centre also received over 900 claims worth Rs. 20,000 crore under the scheme for contractual disputes, out of which it settled claims worth Rs. 1,652 crore.
For the contractual dispute for Covid period, the Center has settled claims involving more than Rs 650 crore by MSMEs. “As of December 1, 2023, 43,904 claims involving more than Rs. 650 crore by MSMEs were settled by the government,” the ministry said.
Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY)
In her budget speech for FY 21–22, Sitharaman announced the ‘Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana’ (PMASBY) scheme, with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore over six years (till FY 25–26). This scheme is an addition to the National Health Mission.
The objective of PMASBY is to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 1.5 lakh health and wellness centers were being set up across the country. These Centers have brought screening for conditions like diabetes, cardiac diseases, and cancer close to people’s homes, he said.
The PMASBY also aims to build an IT-enabled disease surveillance system by developing a network of surveillance laboratories at block, district, regional, and national levels in metropolitan areas.
Jal Jeevan Mission Urban
During her Budget speech in 2021–22, the Finance Minister announced the JAL JEEVAN MISSION (URBAN), which has been designed to provide universal coverage of water supply to all households through functional taps in all 4,378 statutory towns in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sitharman announced an outlay of Rs 2.87 trillion towards the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission Urban in her budget speech.
The scheme has been implemented across the country, and various MoUs have been signed between the Center, states, and urban local bodies. The work is also on to promote a circular economy of water through the development of a city water balance plan for each city, focusing on the recycling and reuse of treated sewage, the rejuvenation of water bodies, and water conservation.
As far as the overall progress towards the government’s ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission is concerned, approximately 72 per cent of rural households now have access to tap water connections, according to official data. In 2024, the Jal Shakti ministry faces the crucial target of achieving 100 per cent coverage of tap water connections in every rural household, a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
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Scrapping policy
In the Union Budget 2021–22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a vehicle scrapping policy for private as well as commercial vehicles. The policy is primarily aimed at promoting eco-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce air pollution and oil import bills.
Under the policy, vehicles must go through a fitness test. Private vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years should undergo a fitness test for sure. Which is to be conducted at automated fitness centers.
A total of 11,025 vehicles (7,750 private and 3,275 government vehicles) have been scrapped until March 31 2023, by the registered vehicle scrapping facilities, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated in Parliament. He further said that 24 states and UTs have already reported 2,56,935 government-owned vehicles older than 15 years.
The central government has been providing incentives to state governments for the implementation of the Vehicle Scrapping Policy, he added.
“The scheme for special assistance to states for capital investment has been extended for the financial year 2023-24 by the government, and the incentive amount to the states has been increased to Rs 3,000 crore, to incentivise scrapping of state government vehicles, which are older than 15 years, waiver of liabilities on old vehicles, providing tax concessions to individuals for scrapping of old vehicles and setting up of automated vehicle testing facilities,” he said.
One Station One Product
The Centre launched its ambitious ‘One Station One Product’ scheme in the Union Budget 2022–23. It is an extension to the government’s ‘One District One Product’ program, and a pilot project was launched on March 25, 2022, in each railway zone. The scheme is aimed at providing a market for indigenous products and creating additional income opportunities for the marginalised sections of society.
According to government data, as of November 30, 2023, 1189 OSOP outlets were operational at 1083 stations. These OSOP outlets have been allotted to the local beneficiaries.
