Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed the announcements made under the final tranche of the economic package as a step in realising the idea of self-reliant India, which will prove to be a game-changer for health, education and business sectors.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the economic package, Shah said that while Modi's leadership in handling COVID-19 has outshined several developed nations, he has resolved to prepare India for any such pandemic in the future by strengthening and revamping India's health sector.
"Today's announcements by Modi government will go a long way in realising the idea of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. These steps will prove to be a game-changer for health, education and business sectors, which will provide employment to crores of poor," Shah tweeted.
He said the additional allocation of Rs 40,000 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by Modi government will not only help in generating employment for the poor and migrant workers but will also help create durable livelihood assets, which will greatly boost the rural economy and infrastructure.
Stressing on the government's decision to increase the borrowing limit of states, he said that this will give the States extra resource of Rs 4.28 lakh crore. "The Centre had previously given: Rs 46,038 crore through devolution of taxes in April, Revenue Deficit Grants of Rs 12,390 crore and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) funds to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore."
The Union Home Minister termed the decision on reimagining the Public Sector Enterprise Policy as Prime Minister Modi's "futuristic vision and commitment towards a self-reliant India."
The Modi government has decided to increase India's health expenditure to create infectious diseases hospital blocks in every district, strengthening lab network and surveillance and encouraging research, he said, adding that this foresight will take India way ahead in the medical sector.
( With inputs from ANI )