Interim Budget 2019: an exercise aimed at pleasing farmers, informal workers, salaried taxpayers
The Union Interim Budget 2019-20 presented on February 1, 2019 contained elements that are aimed at benefitting three major segments of the population — farmers, informal workers and salaried taxpayers — with announcements of an income support scheme for the first, an insurance scheme for the second, and tax exemptions for the third one.
As it happened | Interim Budget 2019 live | Couldn't make more announcements since it's an Interim Budget, says Piyush Goyal
With a little help from friends, and many a sop, Piyush Goyal delivers in an unfamiliar role
Acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal’s maiden Budget speech, which ran for over an hour and forty minutes and included an eyebrow-raising “vision document for 2030”, could be divided into the part before his announcement of a farmers income support scheme, and the one after.
Interim Budget 2019: no income tax for earnings up to ₹5 lakh
Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday announced in his budget speech that individual taxpayers with annual income up to ₹5 lakh will not have to pay any income tax, adding that the present I-T rates would continue.
Interim Budget 2019: ₹6,000 per annum for farmers with less than 2 hectares of land
The government has announced a package of ₹6,000 a year for farmers holding up to 2 hectares of land, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Interim Budget 2019: 10-point vision document for 2030
While presenting the Interim Budget on February 1, 2019, Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal laid out the government's 10-point vision document for 2030. The areas of focus varied from making India a 10-trillion-dollar economy to ensuring digitisation of government processes and private transactions.
Also read | Interim Budget 2019: the highlights
Interim Budget 2019: railways get ₹ 1.58 lakh crore, highest ever for the national transporter
Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday announced a capital expenditure allocation of ₹ 1.58 lakh crore for the railways, the highest ever for the national transporter, in an effort to put its flagging revenues back on track.
Also read | Law Ministry gets additional ₹666.66 crore for conducting Lok Sabha elections
Giving farmers ₹17 a day an insult to everything they stand, work for: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged the government destroyed the lives of farmers over the past five years, and said its Interim Budget announcement of “₹17 a day” for them was an insult to everything they stand and work for.
Also read | How is economy growing when unemployment rate at highest, asks P. Chidambaram
Two pilots killed as Mirage aircraft crashes during take-off at Bengaluru HAL airport
Two pilots were killed when their Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft crashed during take-off at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport in Bengaluru at 10.25 a.m on Friday.
PM committee's approval was taken before appointing Nageshwar Rao: Govt. to SC
The challenge to the appointment of M. Nageshwar as interim CBI Director on January 10 fizzled out as soon as the government placed on record before the Supreme Court documents showing that the prior consent of the high-powered committee was taken.
Also read | SC seeks Centre’s response on CBI DSP Bassi’s plea challenging transfer
Opposition leaders meet to discuss EVM tampering issue
Top leaders of various opposition parties met on February 1 to discuss the issue of alleged tampering of EVMs and develop their future course of action. Sources said the Congress convened the meeting to discuss a joint strategy on the issue of alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs) as some parties have questioned their efficacy and demanded the EC revert to the old system of ballot paper.
Davis Cup 2019: India staring at elimination after Italy takes 2-0 lead
The gamble of playing on grass did not work out for hosts India, at least on the opening day, as Italy lived up to their reputation to win both the singles in the Davis Cup Qualifiers at the Calcutta South Club in Kolkata on Friday.
