AGARTALA, Feb 29 (TIWN) : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at parliament during the announcement of the 3rd Union budget said that the Govt. has focused on 9 pillars which are to be set up in India for its overall economic development. Govt. has also challenged to make the income of the farmers double in 5 years. The 9 pillars are : 1. Agriculture and farmers' welfare, 2. rural sector, 3. social sector including healthcare, 4. infrastructure,5. financial sector reforms, 6.ease of doing business, 7. fiscal discipline, 8. tax reforms 9. education, skills and job creation to reduce compliance burden. Total allocation for farmers’ welfare is Rs. 35,984 crores. "We need to give back to our farmers. We need to think beyond food security to income security, which will double income of farmers by 2022.", said Jaitley. The minister has announced a 228% jump in funds for rural areas. Experts are saying that the project is rather rural centric as govt. has announced for Agriculture with Rs. 17,000 crores investment, which means 86,000 crores in 5 years to make India food sufficient.National dialysis service programme under PPP model has also been announced. LPG connection for women members of rural homes may change scenarios of Tripura.

Moreover, Arun Jaitley also unveiled a budget for farmers and the poor on Monday, announcing a string of farm measures, rural aid and health programmes. 

Presenting his third budget, Minister said, "spend prudently and wisely for the people, especially for the poor and downtrodden".

He said, the 9 pillars  in which the government would base its "transformative agenda" for the economy in the coming year.  “First among them agriculture and farmers' welfare”, said Jaitley . He also said that the key areas of policy focus would be farming, social reforms, infrastructure and recapitalizing the banking system.

Among other major announcements was one for LPG connections for poor women, which he said would benefit 1.5 crore households this year.The finance minister has raised the deduction limit for those with total income of less than Rs. 5 lakh from 2000 to 5000. He has also announced relief for tax payers who do not own a house and don't get house rent allowance from employers.

The full Rural budget at a glance.

1.     Rs. 38,500 crore for MNREGA. Highest ever for the rural employment scheme.

2.     5,542 villages have been electrified, more than the last three years combined.

3.     28.5 lakh hectares to be brought under irrigation.

4.     Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana to bring 5 lakh acres under organic farming.

5.     Govt will reorganise agricultural policy to double farmer income in five years.

6.     Excise duty on tobacco increased by 10-15 per cent. (Which is a good step against tobacco agriculture)

7.     Rs. 97,000 crore for all roads. Total outlay on roads and rails will be Rs. 2.80 lakh crore. 10,000 km of national highways in 2016-17 and 50,000 km state highways to be converted to NH roads, which may increase the agricultural business,

8.     Rs. 2.87 lakh crore for gram panchayats as per recommendation of 14th finance commission.

9.     Agricultural credit target of Rs. 9 lakh crore. Govt to allocate Rs 5,500 crore for crop insurance scheme.