The announcement of National Bamboo Mission and allocation of Rs 1,290 crore for it during the 2018-19 fiscal has special significance for the Northeast and it shows the Modi government's continued commitment to the region's development, Union minister Jitendra Singh said today.
He said, it is also a pleasant coincidence the Budget announcement by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has come close on the heels of the Union cabinet's decision to amend the 90-year-old "Indian Forest Act of 1927", which was a legacy of the British empire, and the amendment has exempted the bamboo grown in the non-forest land from the Act.
"The Bamboo Mission has a special significance for Northeast and the announcement made by the Finance Minister today is a vindication of the Modi government's continued commitment to the development of the region," Singh told reporters here.
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The Cabinet decision followed by the budget announcement today will serve as a game changer by generating revenue and at the same time creating avenues of employability, particularly in the Northeast, he said.
Singh, the MoS in the Prime Minister's Office, also lauded the announcement of Rs 10,000 crore as 'Fishery Fund', saying it too will benefit the people in Northeast.
He said the budget also deserves to be commended for having evidently addressed the issue of increasing population of senior citizens in India which is indeed going to become a bigger issue in the years to come.
"As the average lifespan increases, not only the number of senior citizens increases, but they are also faced with the issues of late-age illness, lack of caretakers for help and financial constraint," the minister said.
This, he said, has been taken care of by exemption of the interest on bank account from income tax up to Rs 50,000, enhancement of the health insurance amount up to Rs 50,000 and hike in medical expenditure.
In addition, Singh said, the budget this year has floated a new concept of "Operation Green" with special focus on enhancing the income of the farmers.
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