Union Budget 2008: Complete waiver of all loans for marginal and small farmers: Chidambaram (Budget Highlights)

The highlights of the Indian budget for 2008-09 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram in the Lok Sabha Friday:

1. Over 8 percent growth for 12 successive years

2. Maintaining growth with price stability

3. Maintaining supply of food main task in coming fiscal

4. Concern: Inflationary trends

5. Concern: Capital inflow exceeds current account deficit
Farm growth disappointing at 2.6 percent

6. Gross budgetary support rises to Rs.380 billion

7. Education gets 20 percent more to Rs.344 billion from Rs.286.8 billion

8. Rural infrastructure scheme Bharat Nirman to get Rs.312.8 billion

9. School enrolment scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to get Rs.131 billion

10. Government and Reserve Bank of India to manage capital inflow

11. 16 new central universities

12. 3 new Indian Institutes of Technology

13. Government to raise additional resources worth Rs.100 billion

14. Midday meal scheme for schoolchildren to get Rs.80 billion

15. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) extended to all 596 rural districts

16. NREGS to get Rs.160 billion, more money will be provided on need

17. Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission to get Rs.68.66 billion, up from Rs.54.82 billion

18. National health insurance for poor introduced

19. Northeast development to get Rs.14.55 billion

20. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities get special allocations

21. Rs.5.5 billion for minority dominated districts

22. HIV/AIDS prevention to get Rs.9.93 billion