Budget empowers 140 cr people, says Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: Rubbishing attacks by the Opposition, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said here on Wednesday that this Budget empowers 140 crore people and is unlike an election budget in which 'rewris' are distributed.

While talking to ANI, Goyal said, "There is so much consistency in this budget. Elections budgets are those where 'rewris' are distributed. It is a budget which strengthens the country. This budget empowers 140 crore people. This budget is preparing India for a brighter future."

This budget will touch 140 crore Indians and will impact their lives for a better future and prepare India to enter into Amrit Kaal with great confidence as a country which is working to a plan to make India a nation where everybody grows as the economy grows, said the Union Commerce Minister.

"The world believes that India will give a big push to the global economy. Almost every sector has widely acclaimed this budget as a balanced one. Therefore economists are happy with this budget. They beauty of this budget is that it will lead to inclusive growth," said Goyal.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the Budget 2023 was prepared keeping an eye on the upcoming elections, adding that it has nothing to offer for the country's poor people.

He further said that the government has failed to control inflation and the budget is not for common people.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the "first budget of Amrit Kaal" and said that it would lay a strong foundation for building a developed India.

The Prime Minister said that the budget gives priority to the deprived and will fulfill the dreams of the aspirational society, the farmers, and the middle class.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2023 today in Lok Sabha. This was the third time in a row that the government presented the budget in a paperless form.

Highlights of the budget presented by the Union Finance Minister included big incentives under the new income tax regime.

The IT rebate limit in the new regime has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh and the new tax regime will be the default tax regime, the Finance Minister said.

Capital expenditure outlay has been increased by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, accounting for 3.3 per cent of the GDP.