Special focus on farmers, elderly citizens was never in any of the earlier budgets: Jitendra Singh

The Union Budget for 2019-20, announced Friday, reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "close connect" with common man, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh has said.

He said this is a budget which could have only been conceived and visualised by a prime minister like Narendra Modi, who has lived through the hardship and constraints of the lower middle class.

Mr Singh said the relief provided to the salaried class by way of increasing the tax-exemption limit as well as the standard deduction limit will be universally welcomed by all sections of society across the country.

He said the enhanced budget of Rs 3,00,000 crore for defence sector not only reflects the Modi government's respect for the defence personnel, but also the concern for states like Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast region which have witnessed security-related problems.

Mr Singh, who is also the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), is a Lok Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency.

He said the special focus on farmers, elderly citizens and healthcare issues was never witnessed in any of the earlier budgets.

This is a budget, Mr Singh said, which could come only from a government which is rooted to the reality of India.