Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 24
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that the Indian economy was showing signs of recovery.
State did better amid Covid times
Haryana handled the economy better during the Covid times, as it didn’t feel the need to utilise the widened borrowing capacity for states. Also, we’re 100% committed to doubling farmers’ income. For this, we have added alternative income sources. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister
However, she refrained from making a comment on it reaching the pre-Covid levels.
Sitharaman was in Chandigarh as part of the 20-day birthday celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the “Sewa and Samarpan” programme.
She said Haryana had handled the economy better during the Covid times, as it didn’t feel the need to utilise the widened borrowing capacity for states. On Punjab’s GST dues, Sitharaman said after meeting their Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, she had released the dues for the state.
On Border Area Development Programme for Punjab, which is in ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and states, she said it couldn’t be equated with Himalayan states and north-eastern states, which are in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and states.
On the question whether the Centre would increase the deadline for doubling farmers’ income, which was slated for 2022 earlier, she said, “It is our 100% commitment to double their income. We’ve added alternative income sources for farmers, including dairy and growing valuable trees.”
On bringing petrol and diesel under the GST, she said the GST council would decide the rate. On a question of whether demonetisation had achieved its objectives, she said it managed to curb fake currency and black money.
The Union Minister said for the past seven years, the Centre was running many schemes for the economic uplift of the people on the last rung of society. Through these schemes, loans are being given to people from the lower strata to run their businesses. Referring specifically to the Jan Dhan accounts, she said through the DBT, the benefits of many schemes were reaching the poor families. She said collateral free loans were being given under Mudra for standups and startups.
She said many economic reforms had been implemented since 2014 under the leadership of PM Modi.
Economy showing signs of recovery: Nirmala Sitharaman
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