Budget 2016 is pro-poor, pro-farmer: Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Union Budget 2016 is pro-village, pro-poor and pro-farmer, with focus on bringing about qualitative change in the country and alleviate poverty through a slew of time-bound programmes.

Commenting on the budget, which was presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley earlier in the day, Modi said special attention has been paid to agriculture, village infrastructure, healthcare, employment generation and Dalit entrepreneurship.

“This budget is pro-village, pro-poor, pro-farmer. The main focus is to bringing about qualitative change in the country,” said Modi, adding “there will be a big change in the lives of common people.”

The prime minister said the budget has laid a roadmap to alleviate poverty in a time-bound manner. “Several steps have been taken for the farmers. The most important is Pradhan Mantri Krishi Yojana,” he said.

Noting that electricity and roads are crucial for villages, Modi said that by 2019, all villages of the country will be connected by roads, while all of them will be electrified by 2018. For MGNREGA, there has been the biggest allocation, he said.

Talking about housing, Modi said every poor man dreams of owning a house and efforts will be made to strengthen this sector to ensure that the poor people realise their dreams. At the same time, exemptions have been given to those living in rented accommodations, he noted.