NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India unveiled its budget for the fiscal year starting April 1 on Thursday, in what is being seen as a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain fiscal discipline without stifling economic growth ahead of general elections next year.
Here are the highlights of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's budget for the 2018/19 fiscal year.
GROWTH
Estimates 7.2 to 7.5 percent GDP growth in second half of current fiscal year
Finance minister says "firmly on path to achieve 8 percent plus growth soon"
INFRASTRUCTURE
To spend 14.34 trillion Indian rupees ($225.50 billion) on rural infrastructure
AGRICULTURE
Finance minister says will focus on strengthening rural, agriculture economy
Sets 10 trillion rupees to 11 trillion rupees credit for "agricultural activities"
Minimum support price of all crops to be increased to at least 1.5 times of production cost
Export of agriculture commodities to be liberalised
HEALTH/POLLUTION
To provide 500,000 rupees per family annually for medical reimbursement under National Health Protection Scheme. Finance minister says the plan will protect 100 million poor families and will be world's largest health protection scheme.
To implement special schemes for governments around Delhi to address air pollution
Removal of crop residue to be subsidized in order to tackle the problem of pollution due to burning of crop residue
($1 = 63.5925 rupees)
(Compiled by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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