FM unveils road map for 'Viksit Bharat' but skips Manipur
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal/Delhi, July 23 2024: After President Draupadi Murmu skipped Manipur in entirety in her recent address to the Lok Sabha, literally nothing was mentioned about Manipur and to alleviate the suffering of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in relief camps and flood victims in the State in the first Budget of the third term of the Modi led Government.

The Union Budget didn't mention any relief package for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the flood victims in Manipur which has been going through difficult phases since May 3, 2023 .

There are currently over 60 thousand internally displaced persons in the State.

Notably, Manipur was struck by flood twice in the latter part of May and the first week of July this year amid the unrest but it wasn't reflected in the Union Budget when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about the floods that had occurred in Bihar, Assam, Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

The Centre announced to provide assistance to these flood hit States viz Bihar, Assam, Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand and Sikkim but skipped Manipur.

Reacting to the Union Budget, Lok Sabha MP (Inner MP) Dr Bimol Akoijam tweeted a post on X wherein he stated, "Absence thy name is Manipur, that's the budget speak! Nothing on flood and rehabilitation packages for IDPs in the State!" .

His post was retweeted over 200 times at the time of filing this report at around 6 pm.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, presenting her seventh-consecutive Budget and her first in Modi 3.0, spotlighted nine priority areas for generating ample opportunities for all.

She also said that these nine priorities of Union Budget 2024 will form the foundation for future Budgets of the Modi government.

The nine priority areas include : Productivity and resilience in agriculture; employment and skilling; improved human resources; social justice; manufacturing and services; urban development; energy security; infrastructure; innovation; research and development and next-generation reforms.

Education, job generation, employment, skilling, MSMEs and the middle class are among the key thrust areas of this Budget.

It also presented a road map for accomplishing the Prime Minister's package of five schemes for employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a five-year period with a Central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore.

This year, a provision of Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been made for education, employment and skilling.

Below are the key focus and thrust of nine priorities, as outlined in FM Sitha-raman's Budget speech:

Priority 1: Productivity and resilience in agriculture.

A provision of Rs 1.52 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sector; new 109 high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops for cultivation by farmers; one crore farmers to be initiated into natural farming over next two years; 10,000 need-based bio-input resource centres will be established; large scale clusters for vegetable production will be developed closer to major consumption centres; government to facilitate implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in agriculture for coverage of farmers and their lands in three years.

Priority 2: Employment & Skilling.

The Government will implement schemes for Employment Linked Incentive as part of Prime Minister's package Scheme A: First Timers.

This scheme will provide one-month's wage to all persons newly entering the workforce in all formal sectors.

The Direct Benefit Transfer of one-month's salary in three instalments to first-time employees, as regis- tered in the EPFO, will be up to Rs 15,000.The eligibility limit will be a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month.

The scheme is expected to benefit 210 lakh youth.

Scheme B: Job creation in manufacturing.

This scheme will incentivise additional employment in the manufacturing sector, linked to the employment of first-time workers.

An incentive will be provided at specified scale directly both to the employee and the employer with respect to their EPFO contribution in the first four years of employment.

The scheme is expected to benefit 30 lakh youth entering the workforce, and their employers.

Scheme C: Support to employers.

This employer-focussed scheme will cover additional employment in all sectors.

All additional employment within a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month will be counted.

The government will reimburse to employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for two years towards their EPFO contribution for each additional employee.

The scheme is expected to incentivise additional employment of 50 lakh people.

Over 20 lakh youth will be skilled over a five-year period.

For skilling in collaboration with state governments and industry, 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes will be upgraded in hub-and-spoke arrangements with outcome orientation.

Government will launch a comprehensive scheme for providing internship opportunities in 500 top companies to one crore youth in five years.

Interns will gain exposure for 12 months to real-life business environments, varied professions and employment opportunities.

An internship allowance of Rs 5,000 per month along with one-time assistance of Rs 6,000 will be provided.

Model Skill Loan Scheme will be revised to facilitate loans up to Rs 7.5 lakh with a guarantee from a government promoted fund.

This measure is expected to help 25,000 students every year.

Priority 3: Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice.

Priority 4: Manufacturing & Services.

For facilitating term loans to MSMEs for purchase of machinery and equipment without collateral or third-party guarantee, a credit guarantee scheme will be introduced which will operate on pooling of credit risks of such MSMEs.

A separately constituted self-financing guarantee fund will provide, to each applicant, guarantee cover up to Rs 100 crore.

The limit of Mudra loans will be enhanced to Rs 20 lakh from the current Rs 10 lakh for those entrepreneurs who have availed and successfully repaid previous loans under the 'Tarun' category.

As many as 12 industrial parks under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme also will be sanctioned.

Priority 5: Urban Development.

Priority 6: Energy Security Nuclear energy is expected to form a very significant part of the energy mix for Viksit Bharat.

Towards that pursuit, the government will partner with the private sector for setting up Bharat Small Reactors; Research & Development (R&D) of Bharat Small Modular Reactor and R&D of newer technologies for nuclear energy.

Priority 7: Infrastructure Phase IV of PMGSY will be launched to provide all-weather connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations which have become eligible in view of their population increase.

A provision of Rs 1.5 lakh crore for long-term interest free loans has been made this year also to support the states in their resource allocation.

Priority 8: Innovation, R&D.The government will operationalise the Anusandhan National Research Fund for basic research and prototype development.

Priority 9: Next Generation Reforms.

States will be incentivised for land-related reforms and actions within the next three years through appropriate fiscal support.

(With inputs from IANS) .

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