LIVE! Jaitley says he is 'much better', hopes to be back soon

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Fri, 01 February 2019

Jaitley says he is 'much better', hopes to be back soon

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23:03 Jaitley says he is 'much better', hopes to be back soon

Union minister Arun Jaitley, who missed presenting sixth and the final Budget of Narendra Modi government's current term due to ill health, on Friday said he is much better now and expects to be back soon.

Jaitley, who was finance minister in the Modi government, had last month flown to New York for treatment and in his absence the charge of the ministry was given to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, who on Friday presented the interim Budget 2019-20.

"Will be back soon. I am much better now. Hopefully, will be back soon," Jaitley told reporters through a video call from New York and fielded questions on the Budget.

Jaitley reportedly was diagnosed with soft tissue cancer which required a surgery. This is his first overseas visit after he underwent a renal transplant surgery on May 14, 2018, at AIIMS.

In his absence then, Goyal was given the additional charge of the finance ministry.

Jaitley, 66, who had stopped attending office at the beginning of April, and was back in North Block -- the seat of finance ministry -- on August 23.

Jaitley in September 2014 underwent a bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition. -- PTI

A Delhi court on Friday allowed controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi, accused in a money laundering case, to travel to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan noting there was no material to oppose his plea.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann allowed Qureshi to travel to the UAE from February 15-23 for attending the Gulf Food Festival and from March 6-20 to Pakistan to attend his niece's wedding.

The Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation opposed his plea.

The court said it was not disputed that accused has travelled abroad in the past on many occasions with the permission of the court and except for the 'apprehension' of the ED and the CBI that Qureshi may not return to face the trial or join investigation, there is 'no serious contest' to his applications.

"The apprehensions are general which are not supported by any additional material to show change in the circumstances," it said.

"Passport be returned to the applicant to enable him to travel to UAE from February 15-23 and Pakistan from March 6-20," the court said.

ED's Special Public Prosecutor D P Singh opposed the applications on the apprehension that he may not return to face trial.

The CBI told the court that stringent security conditions be put as has been put by the Delhi high court.

The court directed Qureshi to furnish an additional security of Rs 2 crore in the form of bank guarantee and warned that in case of violation of any of the conditions imposed, the amount would be forfeited.

It also asked Qureshi to surrender his passport within 24 hours of his arrival in the country.

In the application, Qureshi sought permission of the court to travel to UAE from February 9-24 to meet buyers and attend the Gulf Food Festival for purposes of promoting and growing his business and to Lahore and Karachi in March to attend a relative's wedding and to permit him to retain his passport between the trips to obtain visa for Pakistan.

"The visit to UAE is absolutely imperative for his business, failing which he is likely to suffer irreparable losses in his business as he has been practically out of business since November 2016.

"Needless to say, the nature of his business is such where he has to persuade and convince customers, chase the customers and goods and prepare for seasonal supplies of meat products in advance, and ensure continuous quality supplies," it said.

The application further said that the visit to Karachi and Lahore is essential for his family ties.

The court had granted him bail in 2017 in a case in which the ED had alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi-based hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-1.

The ED has challenged the bail order in the high court which is pending.

The CBI had lodged a case against him after the ED and Income Tax department's probe into money laundering allegations against Qureshi, in which ongoing investigations have allegedly revealed involvement of senior public servants.

The probe agency had earlier alleged that money has been exported by the accused from one of the witnesses in the investigation through hawala channels in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case. -- PTI

A Central Reserve Police Force jawan was on Friday injured in a grenade attack by terrorists on security forces in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The ultras lobbed a grenade on a security forces' party at Namtehaal in Budgam as they were returning to their camp, a police official said.

He said one CRPF jawan sustained minor injuries in the blast.

The official said the security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a hunt for the assailants.

This is the third grenade attack on security forces in Kashmir in as many days.

Ultras hurled a grenade on security forces at Sherbagh in Anantnag on Thursday, resulting in injuries to seven people, including two CRPF jawans.

On Wednesday, the terrorists hurled a grenade at a police station in Kulgam district, injuring three civilians. -- PTI

A court in Pune rejected on Friday anticipatory bail application filed by Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

Additional sessions judge Kishor Vadane observed that an investigating officer has collected sufficient material against Teltumbde.

"In my view, there is sufficient material collected by the investigating officer to show the involvement of the present accused in the alleged commission of the offence," the judge observed.

The investigation was at a crucial stage and custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary, the court held.

The prosecution on Thursday had submitted an envelope containing 'evidence', claiming that it proves Teltumbde's involvement in Maoist activities.

Teltumbde filed the anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail application before the Pune court after the Supreme Court rejected his plea seeking to quash the FIR against him in the Elgar Parishad case.

Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar had argued that some of the correspondence seized by police revealed that the leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) comrade Prakash, Milind (Teltumbde), Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen and Anand Teltumbde were in contact with each other.

"It establishes a larger conspiracy," she had said.

Gadling, Wilson and Sen are already arrested.

Defence lawyer Rohan Nahar contended that there was no evidence to show that 'comrade Anand' in the alleged correspondence, to which the prosecution had referred, was Teltumbde.

But the judge, in the order, said the documents submitted by the prosecution in the envelop 'prima facie' reveal that it has some material to show that they were oneand the same person.

Nahar said he will challenge the order in the Bombay high court.

According to Pune Police, Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, and the inflammatory speeches there led to violent clashes at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the next day. -- PTI

The government will conduct a new national sample survey on employment, which will show that there has been 'substantial job creation', prime minister's economic advisory council chief Bibek Debroy said on Friday.

Amid a raging controversy over employment data, Debroy also said states are largely responsible for creating 'business environment' and jobs.

On Thursday, a media report based on the National Sample Survey Office's (NSSO) periodic labour force survey, said unemployment rate had hit a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18.

However, the same day, the government said it had not finalised the survey on labour force.

"We will have a new round of the NSS which will soon be announced and I am sure that that particular survey will show that there has been substantial employment and substantial job creation," Debroy, who is the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) chairman, said.

In a video message posted on the Facebook page of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Debroy also said a large part of what happens to 'jobs, employment, the business environment is in the province of the states'.

The EAC-PM chairman also pointed out that India does not have any robust statistical data on job creation after the year 2011-12.

Stating that India's labour force is still informal and unorganised, he said: "The enterprise surveys provide a very imperfect understanding of what is happening to employment in India."

Debroy said the real issue is not the number of jobs created but the quality of jobs and wage rates.

Noting that the government per se can only provide a limited number of jobs, Debroy also said the bulk of jobs would have to be created outside the government.

"And this is precisely what the Modi government has been doing by pushing self-employment, by pushing entrepreneurship.

"This is what the prime minister means when he talks about StandUp India, StartUp India," the EAC-PM chief said.

On January 28, acting chairman and another member of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) resigned, saying the government had not released the job numbers despite the commission's approval.

The NSSO job report was previously planned to be released in December 2018. -- PTI

21:31 DND flyover shut briefly due to farmers' rally

The Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital was briefly shut on Friday as a large number of farmers marched on the road in a rally, officials said.

The flyover was opened later and traffic was normalised in the evening, an official said. The Delhi Traffic Police had asked commuters to take alternate routes between Delhi and Noida.

They suggested using the NH-9 instead of the DND for moving to Ghazipur via Mayur Vihar.

'Due to the rally/protest by farmers, the DND road between Noida and Delhi has been shut,' the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted at 5 pm.

Vehicular movement on the crucial route had come to a crawl, with several commuters sharing their agony on social media.

'Coming back to Delhi from Noida? Avoid roads. Take the metro. The traffic is insane. 2 hours for a 35 min route. And I have still not reached,' a Twitter user said.

Another commuter stuck at a traffic jam near Mayur Vihar posted on Twitter, 'I am stuck here for last two hours. It would have been better had I opted for metro today. It took me around 50 minutes to cover a distance of five km.'

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory stating traffic movement on NH-24, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road, and from DND to Ashram was likely to be impacted due to the rally.

The rally organised by Kisan Uday Abhiyan, led by Manish Teotia, was stopped at the DND flyover since they came with tractors and trolleys which is not allowed inside the city, a senior Delhi Police officer said.

Farmers from villages in Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts and other nearby areas attended the rally.

Around 600-700 police officials from the eastern and southeastern districts of Delhi were deployed to control the situation.

A delegation has gone to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister Office. The traffic has been normalised now, the police officer said.

The Noida Traffic Police said there could be diversions made on the route according to requirements.

"People are advised to use alternate roads via Mayur Vihar and Kalindi Kunj for movement between Noida and Delhi to avoid inconvenience," it had said in the advisory. -- PTI

Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy on Friday claimed the organisers of the Kolkata book fair backtracked after giving him permission to read his book on Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee there.

He said he has decided to visit the publisher's stall on Monday and sign copies of his book.

When contacted, GUILD general secretary Tridib Chatterjee declined to comment on the issue.

Roy said the organisers had given him permission to hold a book reading session on February 4 but they backtracked citing 'unavoidable circumstances'.

The book titled 'Bharatkeshari Yugpurush Shyamaprasad', a political critique and life sketch on Mookerjee, was released last month.

Roy, who was earlier Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit chief, has been a bitter critic of the Mamata Banerjee government.

"A few days back I spoke to Tridip Chatterjee of GUILD, organisers of the fair, and told him that I would like to have a reading session of my new book.

"He said he will arrange it and there won't be any problem. But recently he told me that the slot can't be given to me. I don't know why he backtracked," Roy told PTI.

He said it was unfortunate to see the session being cancelled but he had decided to be present at his publisher's stall and sign copies of his books on Monday.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the state government has 'played a role' in ensuring that Roy doesn't get a slot as the book is on Syama Prasad Mookerjee. -- PTI

West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Friday praised the Mamata Banerjee government for being able to cope with the challenges of demonetisation and 'hasty' implementation of the GST 'thrust upon' by the Centre.

In his address to the assembly on the first day of the Budget Session, Tripathi said state government never for once faltered from the track of the development process that encompassed every person from all walks of life.

He also praised the government for keeping a 'steady vigil' to ensure communal harmony, and said the overallatmosphere remained peaceful.

"The state government was able to cope with the twin challenges of demonetisation and hasty enforcement of GST thrust upon by the central government," he said.

He said there were attempts to disturb peace in the Darjeeling hills which were strongly dealt with.

Tripathi said the state government was committed to safeguarding the democratic and federal structure of the Constitution.

Noting that the country was standing at the 'crossroads of history', the governor said, 'regardless of the ominous forces of divisiveness, intolerance and contempt, the West Bengal government will strive to protect the triple pillars of democracy (the legislature, executive and judiciary)'.

Holding placards and shouting slogans, opposition Left Front and Congress members trooped into the Well of the House demanding a discussion on the governor's address during the current session.

The opposition is up in arms against the government for his decision to do away with the customary debate on the motion of thanks to the governor's address.

However, Speaker Biman Banerjee told reporters in his chamber that there will be a discussion on the governor's address when the House reconvenes in due course and the chief minister would also give a reply.

He said the chief minister had a packed schedule at the moment. Finance minister Amit Mitra is scheduled to present the state Budget on Monday and the House will pass it the next day. -- PTI

Terming the Union Budget the 'final jumla' of the Narendra Modi government, Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said it has disappointed the city.

The Centre on Friday allocated Rs 1,112 crore for Delhi in the Union Budget, while keeping its share in central taxes and duties unchanged.

Kejriwal rued the 'stagnant' share of Delhi in central taxes and his party too alleged 'step-motherly treatment' by the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre.

'Final jumla of Modi govt: it's interim budget too completely disappoints Delhi. Our share in central taxes remains frozen at Rs 325 crore & nothing earmarked for local bodies. Delhi continues to be on its own financially (sic),' Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.

He also tweeted, '1. Invest heavily in edu n health 2. Increase min wages n enforce it 3. Give crop prices 1.5 times cost 4. One time farm loan waiver. This wud put money in pocket of poorest, create demand, give boost to economy n create jobs. None of it done in budget (sic).'

The ruling party in Delhi termed Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's budget speech an 'election speech' of a government hardly four months away from its 'departure'.

"The BJP government at the Centre has given step-motherly treatment to the people of Delhi. From 2001, the Centre is giving only Rs 325 crore to the Delhi government despite getting lakhs of crores of rupees collected as taxes.

"As per the Finance Commission recommendation, it should be around Rs 70,000 crore," AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said.

The Delhi government has been given Rs 472 crore as central assistance in the interim Budget for 2019-20 presented by Goyal in Parliament.

In the previous budget, the Centre had allotted a total of Rs 790 crore.

The central assistance to the city government was Rs 499.99 crore.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who heads the finance department of the Delhi government, complained of 'nominal increase' in central assistance.

In the interim Budget, the share in central taxes of Delhi has not been increased from Rs 325 crore which is stagnant since 2001-02, he said in a statement.

"The Delhi government deserves its legitimate share in central taxes to finance various developmental projects. We had requested the Government of India a number of times to enhance the allocation to at least Rs 6,000 crore as share in central taxes as against Rs 325 crore being released to Delhi," Sisodia said.

The budget of Delhi has increased from Rs 8,739 crore in the year 2001-02 to Rs 53,000 crore in 2018-19, whereas the share in central taxes has remained frozen at Rs 325 crore since 2001-02, he said.

The Delhi deputy chief minister also claimed the Centre has not allocated any funds to the local bodies in Delhi though it was requested for by the Kejriwal government.

"No funds have been earmarked to local bodies in Delhi although we had requested for allocation of at least Rs 1,000 crore as basic and performance grants to them in 2018-19 (revised estimates) and Rs 1150 crore in 2019-20 (budget estimates)," Sisodia said.

The Delhi government had requested the Centre to enhance the normal central assistance to Rs 1,500 crore in 2019-20, but it has declined by two percentage points, although the expenditure of the government on its schemes has increased to Rs 22,000 crore.

"We had requested (the Centre) to increase the normal central assistance to at least Rs 1,300 crore in the current year revised estimate and Rs 1,500 crore in 2019-20 budgetary estimates. However, an amount of Rs 472 crore as an additional central assistance has been proposed in 2019-20 as against Rs 450 crore in the current year," he said.

An amount of Rs 10 crore each has been proposed under 2018-19 (RE) and 2019-20 (BE) as reimbursement of compensation to 1984 riot victims to Delhi government, the deputy chief minister said.

The Rs 5 crore proposed for the Delhi government as an assistance for the Delhi Disaster Response Fund is 'negligible', he said.

The figure of Rs 1,112 crore shown in 2019-20 (Budget Estimates) is mainly due to loan taken from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the externally aided project for a water treatment plant at Chandrawal.

However, on all other parameters, it is more or less at the same level, Sisodia added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick start Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in West Bengal on Saturday for the coming Lok Sabha election with rallies in the border district of North 24 Parganas and the industrial town of Durgapur, party sources said.

The venues of both the rallies have political significance.

Thakurnagar, which is one of the venues, is the hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s mostly due to religious persecution.

The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi.

Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.

The BJP state unit is hopeful that Modi will speak on the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill at Thakurnagar in the circumstances, party sources said adding that the BJP-aligned faction of All India Matua Mahasangha is organising the rally.

The Durgapur rally of the prime minister will be part of BJP's 'Ganatantra Bachao' (save democracy) programme in the state.

The industrial hub of Durgapur is near the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency held by union minister Babul Supriyo.

"Just as our party president Amit Shah had started the poll campaign in Bengal from Malda in a public rally on January 23, Modiji will kick start the campaign in Nadia and Burdwan West districts and boost our Bengal campaign," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told PTI.

The rallies are being held at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has upped the ante against the BJP-headed government at the Centre and has given the call to oust the Modi government in the next General Election.

The TMC had on January 19 organised a mega opposition rally which was attended by leaders of 24 parties from across the country, including the Congress.

The TMC had alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was being 'misused' by the Centre to harass opposition parties.

Modi is scheduled to address his third rally on February 8 at Siliguri in north Bengal, one of the areas where BJP had witnessed a surge in its vote share in the last panchayat polls.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said apart from Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and many other top leaders will attend several 'Ganatantra Bachao' rallies across the state. -- PTI

Reacting to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi of Rs 6000 to farmers with less than 2 hectares landholding, Ashok Dhawale, national president of All India Kisan Sabha, one of the largest farmers' bodies in the country, said, "At Rs 500 a month or Rs 15 a day, this is an utter betrayal of the farmers of India. Rs 15 per day will provide a cup of tea. Much worse, this is an effort to skirt the main issue of the farmers' agitations over the last couple of years -- a complete loan waiver and remunerative price for farm produce at 1.5 times the cost of production.

"These were both promises made by this government in 2014, which remain unfulfilled for nearly five years. And now this is a jumla ahead of elections. But the farm community will not fall prey to this, on the contrary, they will be extremely angry at this insult and betrayal. The struggle continues."

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said the government's decision to exempt income of up to Rs 5 lakh from tax will benefit the "great Indian Middle Class".

The significant announcement made by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in his Interim Budget 2019-20 speech will strengthen the purchasing power of the middle class which holds the key for India's future, Jaitley wrote in a Facebook post.

Goyal, who was recently given the charge of the finance ministry temporarily, presented the Budget for 2019-20 in the absence of Jaitley, who is away in New York for medical treatment.

"Piyush Goyal has today made a significant announcement wherein income earners earning upto Rs 5 lakhs have been exempted from payment of Income-tax.

"This effectively strengthens the great Indian Middle Class whose expansion of purchasing power holds the key for India's future," Jaitley said.

He further said the budget marks a high point in the policy directions that the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given to the nation.

Jaitley noted that interim budgets are presented in an election year to seek a vote on account for a limited period till the post-election government can decide the further direction of the economy.

However, he added that past precedents have conclusively shown that urgent steps are required in the larger interests of the economy and they can be taken.

"We have the immediate precedents of the year 2009 and 2014 where significant taxation changes were brought about in the Interim Budgets," Jaitley pointed out.

In an apparent reference to the raging controversy over jobs, Jaitley wondered how the Indian economy can grow at an average of 7.5 per cent in the last five years without any job creation. -- PTI

18:28 Mayawati calls Budget 'jumlebazi'

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati called the Budget presented Friday by the BJP-led government 'jumlebazi', or empty rhetoric, that did not address the ground realties.

She claimed that economic disparities had grown during the last five years with only a handful of capitalists benefiting, instead of farmers and the poor.

"This is wrong and against the interest of the country," she said in a statement.

"The last Budget of the BJP government before the elections is far from the ground reality and the bitter truth, and is mostly jumlebazi,' the Bahujan Samaj Party chief said.

"Jumlebazi cannot change the destiny of the country and end longstanding problems like poverty, unemployment and inflation, she said.

"It needs a firm resolve to solve them, which has been absent in the governments at the helm so far at the Centre," she said.

She claimed the Budget was unsettling for the common people, and compared it to "unfulfilled electoral promises" and decisions like demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax.

Mayawati claimed the benefit of Central schemes meant for labourers, farmers and the poor had not reached the needy, but the "capitalists" had gained.

Referring to the coming Lok Sabha elections, the BSP president urged people to evaluate the "wrong policies and the arrogance" of the BJP government.

She asked them not fall prey to its efforts to "divert attention from its failures by inciting religious sentiments". -- PTI

Finance minister Piyush Goyal's interview to ANI's Smita Prakash:

On WB CM Mamata Banerjee remark that the financial situation was like an economic emergency: I believe the govt has succeeded on all levels. Inflation is down to 4.5% from 10%. If inflation had continued like times of Congress then your household budget would have been 35-40% higher.

On P Chidambaram remark, 'It is not a vote on account but an account for votes': There was no election when we talked about Swachchata & built 9-10 crore toilets. Also, when we said we'll provide electricity to every house in all villages and we did it, there was no election...

Goyal added that this was the first large scale change in the history of independent India. "It's natural that if this is done there will be a few difficulties but I thank tax payers and those in business sector that they accepted this and are getting direct benefits today."

He said that the government was working for an honest economy, a clean India, connected to the digital world with financial inclusion and one which need not suffer lack of basic amenities... "In 5 years, development reached all corners. PM worked for all sections of society. I'm confident people will identify his work."

It is a chain of work that has been done in the last 4 years. It is PM Modi's way of doing the work continuously to take development to every single person across fields. Work is not done in small parts, it is done on large scale successfully with honesty

The Delhi Police has been allocated Rs 7,881.77 crore in the Budget 2019-20, an increase of 6.40 per cent from the budget outlay in the last fiscal.

Of the total amount allotted in the budget, Rs 7334.28 has been earmarked for the Revenue Section, which comprises the Administrative Section, the Road Safety Cell and the Development and Communication Network. The amount saw a 7.99 per cent increase from the last budget outlay of Rs 6791.60 crore.

For police infrastructure, which comprises office and residential building projects, Rs 384.86 crore has been allocated, seeing a decline from last year's amount of Rs 460.95 crore.

Rs 162.63 crore has been allocated for other expenses, including procurement of motor vehicles, machinery and equipment, signals and blinkers and the Intelligent Traffic Management System. -- PTI

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's interview with ANI Editor Smita Prakash on the Interim Budget:

"Why is it that they (Congress) never bothered for healthcare of farmers like we did? Why is it that they never bothered to ensure electricity to all as we did?

"Except making tall promises they did nothing. Instead of being looked at as Rs 500 per month for farmers, it has been introduced as a supplemental income. They're our 'anndaata' and provide us food security... Sitting over here it's very difficult to imagine how important this Rs 6000 is in the life of a small farmer.

"We want to take irrigation through micro irrigation route and through organic farming which takes much less water, this is going to be a priority for the government. In the next 10 years, will make sure everybody get benefit of good irrigation facilities.

At least 3.5 crore people (will be benefitted). We'll get a final data when the final tax returns of the next year come...We have not disturbed the tax rates. We just made the change that those with an annual income less than Rs 5 lakh will have to pay zero tax."

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy reacts: I want to ask if this budget was prepared by officials of Finance dept or RSS? In this budget, Narendra Modi has given cotton candy for farmers. When I announced loan waiver scheme, PM mocked it as lollipop. Friends of BJP have prepared this budget."

16:40 Budget has no value: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Friday the interim budget for 2019-20 had absolutely no value as the term of the NDA government would end soon.

"Who will implement this (interim budget)? Will the new government that will come into being implement this budget? Before election a vote on account is placed," Banerjee said.

"This govt has no moral authority or responsibility to place the budget for 5 years when they'll not be in power; the govt will go for expiry. After expiry, if you give medicine, is there any value? What will be the value? This is absolutely valueless. The Trinamool Congress chief said after the announcement of the poll by the Election Commission, the budget plans cannot be taken up. Therefore, the announcements made in the interim budget have no value, she said.

"The BJP government does not have any moral right to place such (budget) announcement.... Why did they not announce a single agenda for farmers in the last four years?" she said referring to the budget proposals for farmers. The chief minister alleged that the country was passing through an economic emergency after demonetisation and the hurried roll-out of the goods and services tax. -- PTI

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has welcomed the budget for its focus on the farm sector, saying the small farmers will benefit from the proposals. In the full-year budget, the new government should focus on the market linkage infrastructure, including warehousing and processing of farm produce, Nabard chairman HK Bhanwala told PTI Friday.

"There are lots of welcome measures in the interim budget, including interest subvention, apart from the widely- talked about basic income support, which will also be beneficial to the smaller farmers," he said. The interest subvention of up to 5 percent for fisheries and animal husbandry will help farmers as these are the immediate allied activities which the agriculturists take up, Bhanwala said. More importantly, it will also help women as they are associated very closely with animal husbandry.

While many analysts are welcoming the basic income of Rs 6,000 per annum for those with holdings of less than 2 acres for its positive impact on consumption, Bhanwala said the money can also be ploughed in for inputs, leading to better productivity. He said farmers can use the money to be delivered directly into bank accounts for buying seeds, fertilizers or some implements as well. Bhanwala said many states have digitised land records and hence it will not be very difficult for the government to identify the beneficiaries. The scheme, to be funded entirely by the Centre, will involve an annual outgo of Rs 75,000 crore. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the interim budget: "This is an Interim Budget. This is just a trailer of the budget which, after elections, will take India on the path to development.

"From middle class to labourers, from farmers growth to the development of businessmen, from manufacturing to MSME sector, from growth of the economy to development of New India, everyone has been taken care of in this interim budget.

"It's the generosity and honesty of middle class and upper middle class which provides tax to the nation through which schemes are formulated and there is welfare of poor.

"There was always the demand to exempt those, with annual income upto Rs 5 lakh, from taxation. Our govt fulfilled this. "

15:25 Budget for everyone: Speaker

Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker, is gung-ho about the budget: "This budget is for everyone and is a good one. Work will go on like this."

15:23 Rs 17/day sop to farmers is an insult: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi on the interim budget:

Dear NoMo,

5 years of your incompetence and arrogance has destroyed the lives of our farmers.

Giving them Rs. 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for. #AakhriJumlaBudget."

Making a strong re-election pitch, the BJP-led NDA government Friday announced the biggest income tax sops for middle class, including complete exemption for income up to Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 6,000 annual cash dole to poor farmers in a scheme that will cost Rs 75,000 crore per year.

Converting a vote on account speech into an almost full-fledged budget announcement in Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal proposed an array of incentives for both middle class and farmers, whose disenchantment was said to have cost the BJP dearly in recent assembly elections.

Image: Rahul Gandhi with a Congress party supporter at a rally in August 2018. Pic courtesy: @RahulGandhi

15:13 What the pension plan for labourers means

The government Friday announced a new scheme to provide unorganised workers with up to Rs 15,000 monthly income an assured pension of Rs 3,000 per month after 60 years of age. The plan is expected to provide social security to 10 crore labourers. This will attract matching contribution of Rs 100 per month from government as well as from workers.

Presenting the Interim Budget 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha, Fiance Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Half of India's GDP comes from the sweat and toil of 42 crore workers in the unorganised sector working as street vendors, rickshaw pullers, construction workers... and in numerous other similar occupations. Domestic workers are also engaged in big numbers. We must provide them comprehensive social security coverage for their old age".

The government proposes to launch a mega pension yojana namely 'Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan' (PMSYM) for the unorganised sector workers with monthly income up to Rs 15,000, he said.

He further explained that this pension scheme will provide them (informal sector workers) an assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 from the age of 60 years on a monthly contribution of a small affordable amount during their working age.

According to the scheme, an unorganised sector worker joining the pension scheme at the age of 29 years will have to contribute only Rs 100 per month till the age of 60 years. -- PTI

Former finance minister P Chidambaram addresses a press conference on the Interim Budget on behalf of the Congress party. "My one line comment on the budget is that it is not a vote on account but an account for votes. The Interim Finance Minister tested our patience by the longest interim budget speech in the recent memory. It was not an interim budget, it was a full fledged budget accompanied by an election campaign speech," Chidambaram said.

Over three crore salaried class, pensioners, self-employed and small businesses will save Rs 18,500 crore in income tax annually after the exemption limit was doubled to Rs 5 lakh for the next fiscal from current Rs 2.5 lakh. Also, standard deduction was raised to Rs 50,000 from current Rs 40,000.

Finance minister Piyush Goyal holding a press conference on the Interim Budget: "Many times people from big khandaans and those sitting in AC rooms cannot understand the plight of the small farmers. Keeping this in mind, we have introduced Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This is a historic decision. There has never been such a huge measure for farmers in our country.

"We have set up a Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog to ensure cows are respected. We have allocated Rs 500 crore for this."

Image: An image from the film, Peepli Live, that explores the topic of farmer suicides.

Industrialist Anand Mahindra on the Interim Budget: "I was bracing for a populist, profligate budget driven by 'election panic.' I'm just grateful that the reliefs to the key middle class & farmer segments were delivered in a measured way without risking bankruptcy of the economy. This was a controlled, pump-priming exercise..."

Union Minister Arun Jaitley Friday complimented Piyush Goyal for delivering an excellent pro-farmer, pro-poor budget which will also strengthen the purchasing power of middle class.

Goyal, who was given the charge of the finance ministry temporarily recently, presented the Budget 2019-20 in absence of Jaitley, who is away in New York for medical treatment. "The Budget is unquestionably Pro-Growth, Fiscally prudent, Pro-Farmer, Pro-Poor and strengthens the purchasing power of the Indian Middle Class," Jaitley said in a series of tweets. "Between 2014-19, every Budget has given significant relief to the Middle Class," he added.

Jaitley said the Budget expands spending while pragmatically sticking to fiscal prudence. He also noted that interim Budgets are also an opportunity for the government of the day to introspect their performance of the past five years and place its facts before the people. -- PTI

13:46 'Budget scores 8/10'

Neeru Ahuja, Partner, Deloitte: "We all were expecting it, If we add up all the things then people with an annual income around Rs 7.5 lakh won't have to pay tax. It wasn't the full budget, it was interim budget, so I would give it a 8/8.5 out of 10."

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on the government's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi for small and marginal farmers, providing Rs 6,000 per year to be transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts. Tharoor says, "The whole exercise has turned out to be a damn squib. We've seen one good thing that is tax exemption for the middle class. Rs 6000 in income support for farmers boils down to Rs 500 per month. Is that supposed to enable them to live with the honour and dignity?"

Reaching out to a large electorate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Modi government Friday announced a cash dole for small farmers, a mega pension scheme for the unorganised sector and doubled the threshold income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh. Presenting the interim 2019-20 union budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said Rs 6,000 per year cash support will be given to small and marginal farmers that will cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually, in a bid to provide relief to distressed farm sector.

Under the scheme called 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi', Rs 6,000 will be transferred into bank accounts of farmers holding up to 2 hectares of land in three equal instalments. Goyal said it will benefit 12 crore farmers and will be implemented from this fiscal itself. He said Rs 20,000 crore have been provided for current fiscal and also announced allocation of Rs 75,000 crore for the next fiscal.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram Friday termed the union budget as an "account for votes" and not a "vote on account". "It was not a Vote on Account. It was an Account for Votes," Chidambaram tweeted soon after the presentation of the Union Budget. He also thanked Finance Minister Piyush Goyal for "copying" the Congress declaration that the poor will have the first right to resources of the country.

The senior Congress leader claimed that the government had missed the fiscal deficit target, as warned by him earlier. "Thank you Interim FM for copying the Congress' declaration that the poor have the first right to the resources of the country. "As I had warned, Government misses Fiscal Deficit target for 2018-19. Another red flag rises: CAD is 2.5 percent," Chidambaram said in a series of tweets while reacting to the Budget. -- PTI

Economist Kaushik Basu says the jobs situation may be even worse than was suspected. Read the report here.

Close on the heels of long time MD and CEO Rana Kapoor demitting office, Yes Bank senior group president and head - retail and business banking Pralay Mondal has tendered his resignation.

"Pralay Mondal has tendered his resignation as senior group president and head - retail and business banking of Yes Bank on January 31, 2019. He will serve notice till close of business hours of March 31, 2019," Yes Bank said in a regulatory filing.

On January 31, Rana Kapoor's reign as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Yes Bank, which was co-founded by him, ended. Mondal, who had joined Yes Bank in 2012, was one of the two senior officials who were elevated to the post of Executive Directors in September last year. In September 2018, to ensure a long-term succession plan, Yes Bank board decided to elevate senior group presidents Rajat Monga, who handled financial management, and Pralay Mondal, who headed the focus area of retail, as executive directors. Yes Bank did not disclose the reason behind Mondal's resignation. -- PTI

12:15 Budget 2019: Sensex, Nifty hold on to gains

Benchmark equity indices held on to gains Friday morning even as the Budget overshot the fiscal deficit target for the current financial year. The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 157.10 points, or 0.43 per cent, higher at 36,413.79.

Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty rose 43.25, or 0.40 per cent, to 10,874.20.

Presenting the budget for 2019-20, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the fiscal deficit for the current financial year is expected to be 3.4 per cent of GDP.

As per the Budget estimate, the fiscal deficit for 2018-19 was pegged at 3.3 per cent. As widely expected, the finance minister announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi for small and marginal farmers, providing Rs 6,000 per year to be transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts.

Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Maruti, Hero MotoCorp, M&M, HUL, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance, HDFC and L&T, rising up to 3.78 per cent. Vedanta was the biggest loser on Sensex, cracking over 18 per cent after the metals and mining giant Thursday reported a 25.54 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,574 crore for the December 2018 quarter on the back of higher expenses and drop in commodity prices.

Other losers included ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, Axis Bank, Tata Steel, Infosys and Coal India, falling up to 1.78 per cent. Sectorally, auto, realty, FMCG and pharma stocks supported the positive momentum in the market.

Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 3,006.41 crore Thursday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 1,634.32 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed. The rupee, meanwhile, was trading 4 paise lower against US dollar to 71.12. -- PTI

Two years after Major Akshay Girish sacrificed his life fighting terrorists in Kashmir, his mother wonders why his valour wasn't duly recognised. Read the story by Archana Masih/Rediff.com.

Social activist Anna Hazare's hunger strike Friday entered the third day with his doctor stating that the 81-year-old's blood pressure and blood sugar levels had "significantly" increased.

Hazare has been on a hunger strike since Wednesday in Ralegan Siddhi village in the state's Ahmednagar district demanding appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra and resolution of farmers' issue.

Dr Dhananjay Pote told PTI, "There has been significant increase in blood pressure and blood sugar when I examined Hazare in the morning on Friday." Hazare has also been demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on ways to address agrarian distress, besides some electoral reforms.

Local residents, who have come out in large numbers in support, accused the state and Central governments of ignoring his demands. Several of them also protested Friday in front of the office of Ram Shinde, the district's guardian minister, a close aide of Hazare said. -- PTI

A Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft of HAL crashes at HAL Airport in Bengaluru, one pilot dead. Both pilots had ejected, but one of them died as he had landed on the wreckage of the aircraft.

Just four days ago, an Indian Air Force's Jaguar fighter plane crashed in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, the aircraft was on a routine sortie from Gorakhpur Air Force station. The pilot manged to eject safely. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident.

Image: Plumes of smoke emanate from the wreckage of the Mirage fighter jet at the HAL airport.

Manish Tewari, Congress: Since morning, Govt sources have been sending budget pointers to media houses, now if these pointers are there in FM's speech then it tantamounts to a leak. It would be a serious issue of breach of secrecy.

Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya Friday claimed his group's properties worth over Rs 13,000 crore have been attached, more than the 'claimed' Rs 9,000 crore that he "ran away with" asking where is justice and how far will it go. In a series of tweets, Mallya, who intends to appeal against a UK court's extradition verdict, also claimed that the banks to which he owes money "have given an open licence to their Lawyers in England to pursue multiple frivolous litigations against" him questioning the "brazen" spending of "public money on legal fees".

"Every morning I wake up to yet another attachment by the DRT (debt recovery tribunal) recovery officer. Value already crossed (Rs) 13,000 crore. Banks claim dues including all interest of (Rs) 9,000 crore which is subject to review. How far will this go and well beyond? Justified??", Mallya tweeted.

He further said the DRT recovery officer recently attached his group's assets worth over Rs 13,000 crore in India on behalf of the consortium of banks. "Yet the narrative is that I ran away with the claimed amount of (Rs) 9000 crore causing loss to the public sector banks. Where is Justice or fair play?," he asked.

The embattled liquor baron further said "despite all the attachments in India, banks have given an open licence to their lawyers in England to pursue multiple frivolous litigations against me. Who is accountable for spending public money on legal fees in such a brazen manner?" Mallya also claimed that the banks' lawyers in England have objected in writing to his paying "my legitimate tax dues to HMRC which I requested".

"Irony is, Indian state banks want my money in England to settle an Indian debt already secured and deny payment to the UK. tax exchequer. Disgraceful," he added. -- PTI

Union Cabinet has approved the interim Budget 2019-20.

10:53 Only 'jumlas' expected today: Kharge

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on the way to Parliament: "They'll try to introduce populist schemes in the Budget keeping an eye on Lok Sabha polls. Budgets they've presented so far haven't really benefited the general public. Only 'Jumlas' will come out today. They've only 4 months when will they implement the schemes?"

Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning ahead of presenting the Union Budget, as part of tradition.

The Finance Minister shook hands with President Kovind and held a brief meeting with him at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President's House tweeted photos of the meeting and posted: "As per tradition, Finance Minister @PiyushGoyal calls on #PresidentKovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget."

As is standard practice, a vote-on-account or approval for essential government spending for a limited period is taken in an election year and a full-fledged budget is presented in the Lok Sabha by the new government. If the budget date falls a few months ahead of General Elections, then an interim budget is presented.

Finance Minister Goyal, also the Railway Minister, examined the final copy of the document on Thursday evening. He will present the Interim Budget in the Lok Sabha at 11 am. He is also expected to address the media around 3.30 pm.

The interim budget will seek Parliament's nod for spending till a new Central government is sworn-in. The new government, elected after the General Elections due by May, is expected to present the full-fledged budget in July to be preceded by the tabling of Economic Survey.

10:40

Ravi Shankar Prasad arrives at Parliament.

10:39

Rajnath Singh arrives in Parliament. Following the Cabinet meeting, Piyush Goyal will present the interim Budget 2019-20 at 11 am.

10:38

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj arrives in Parliament.

10:17 PM, FM arrive in Parliament, Interim Budget at 11 am

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal calls on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget 2019. The interim budget will be presented at 11 am in Parliament today. The buzz is that the Budget will tackle farm distress. The PM has just arrived in Parliament, as as FM Piyush Goyal.

Domestic stock markets started Friday's session on a higher note ahead of Budget 2019 announcement amid heavy buying by foreign portfolio investors.

10:09

Snow clearing operations underway in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir.

10:03 Snow, beautiful, snow

Himachal Pradesh: Visuals of fresh snowfall in the Nawar valley in the Tikkar area of Shimla district. You may not be there, but there is always voyueristic pleasure in looking at these gorgeous pictures.

09:59 Heavy snowfall in Uttarkashi

In news apart from the Budget, in Uttarakhand, the highway to Gangotri is shut at Songarh, Dharali and Jhala in the Uttarkashi district due to heavy snowfall in the region. The Border Roads Organisation and the district administration are conducting a snow clearing operation.

09:46

Printed copies of Budget 2019-20 being security checked at the Parliament premises.

09:38 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas mantra will reflect in the Budget'

BJP leaders are exuding confidence before the Budget presentation.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Singh Tomar said the NDA governments mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas will reflect in the Budget.

The budget is likely to focus on immediate relief measures, particularly for the agricultural sector in distress and for small businesses.

Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will present the Budget at 11 am in Parliament today. This is the last Budget of the Narendra Modi governments current term, which ends in May.

BJP national spokersperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal also sent his best wishes to Piyush Goyal, who will present his maiden Budget.

Image: The printed copies of Budget 2019-20 being security checked by a sniffer dog. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Pulwama following information about presence of terrorists in the area, a police official said.

He said a gun battle ensued as the terrorists opened fire at the security forces.

Two terrorists were gunned down, the official said, adding that their identities and group affiliation were being ascertained.

-- PTI

08:53

Union Minister Piyush Goyal arrives at the ministry of finance. Two hours from now, he will show what is in India's wallet this fiscal year

08:41 Finance Minister Piyush Goyal to present Budget today

With the Lok Sabha elections only a few months away, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will present NDA governments Budget today amidst a lot of hopes and expectations from across the spectrum of society right from the common people to industries.

The Budget, the last financial exercise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government before the General Elections, will be presented in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Goyal on Friday at 11 am.

If some relief in income tax exemption to the salaried and middle-class people is expected, there is a hope that the Central government may come out with some concrete measures to combat the problem of unemployment, which rose to 45-year high during 2017-18 as per the assessment of the National Sample Survey Office.

At present, there is an exemption from paying personal tax on an income up to Rs 2.5 lakh, while income between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh attracts five per cent tax. A 20 per cent tax is levied on the income in the range of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. An individuals income above Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 30 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the all-party meeting on Thursday, said the governments focus lies on finding solutions to problems of people.

The country expects from all of us to perform our duties as Parliamentarians in a positive manner and we must deliver to the expectations of the people, he said as the Interim Budget session began on Thursday with President Ram Nath Kovinds address to both the Houses of Parliament in the Central Hall.

-- ANI

In an indication of widening cracks in Karnataka's coalition government, Janata Dal-Secular chief Deve Gowda condemned the increasing frequency with which Congress legislators were taking potshots at his son -- Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy -- and warned that he cannot remain silent on the matter anymore.

The former prime minister demanded that the Congress prevent its legislators from uttering loose remarks that could hurt their working relationship. "Is this any way to run a coalition government? Every day, we have to request our coalition partner to not utter unparliamentary remarks," he said.

Gowda claimed that he has been "in pain" ever since his son became the Chief Minister half a year ago. "All kinds of things have happened in these six months. I have not opened my mouth till now, but I can't keep quiet anymore," he added.

A few days ago, a visibly offended Kumaraswamy had even offered to quit his post.

The warnings issued by Gowda and his son are seen as a reaction to Congress legislator ST Somasekhar's recent remark that Karnataka would have witnessed "real development" if former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had received another term. His party colleague, C Puttarangashetty, went a step further by saying that Siddaramaiah is the only chief minister in his book.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday courted a fresh controversy by accusing the state's political leaders of wanting to get "youths killed" to "blackmail" Delhi and keep it "under pressure".

Addressing a Kissan Mela here in Akhnoor, the governor also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to give everything that the people of Kashmir demand under the Constitution as he has love and respect for the people of the state.

"The leaders of Jammu and Kashmir want the youths get killed so that they keep New Delhi under pressure," Malik said while addressing the Kissan Mela.

"This misconception was cleared by me during the municipal and panchayat polls, and conveyed a message that New Delhi is not to come under pressure. New Delhi will not come under pressure of blackmail now. If bullets will be fired, no bouquets will be send from here," he said.

Malik said by killing militants in Kashmir no solution can be found and asked them to return to their mainstream.

"I am not for taking the lives of these children. If they come back, we are ready to do something for them. We are trying to find out some way," he said.

In a veiled reference to two former chief ministers -- Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, Malik said "political parties have double standards. I am angry with them".

He said breaking the protocol, he had reached out to Mufti and Abdullah, asking them to take part in the municipal and panchayat polls to empower the people, but the duo "opposed and boycotted".

"I went to the houses of both after breaking my protocol. I went to the house of Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah. I asked them to take part in elections which will benefit and empower people. But they opposed it. They want their own empowerment not that of the people," Malik said.

Taking a dig at Mufti, he said even before confirmation of killing of a militant, one leader of a party goes to his home to condole the death. "How can this work?" governor asked.

The NC and the PDP hit back at Malik and questioned his stand on dissolving the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. They termed his action as "unethical".

Abdullah asked the governor to "focus on his work and stop playing politics".

"Please stop with the insults & snide remarks Mr Governor. They do not behove a person in your position. It is only my respect for the office you occupy that stops me from repeating what all you told me when we met. @jandkgovernor. Please stop playing politics & focus on your work," Omar tweeted.

The PDP tweeted, "Not allowing a democratic government to function & talking of panchayat as empowerment of democracy without participation of people & parties! Dissolving assembly unethically is personal empowerment not boycott." -- PTI

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