Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir) [India], February 24: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Monday hailed the Union Budget for 2025-26, calling it a “roadmap for development” that aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by 2047. Thakur emphasized the government’s commitment over the past decade, highlighting the achievement of lifting 25 crore Indians out of multidimensional poverty, a milestone contributing to India’s progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing poverty by half by 2030.
Speaking at a press conference in Jammu, Thakur outlined key provisions from the budget that would benefit various sectors, including the middle class, MSMEs, farmers, and startups. “Nirmala Sitharaman ji presented the financial year 2025-26 budget, and we can say that this budget will play a very important role in taking India towards a developed India,” Thakur stated.
Thakur credited the Modi government for fulfilling its commitments, stating, “The government has delivered on its promise to support the poor, workers, women, youth, and farmers. Twenty-five crore poor people have been lifted out of poverty in the last ten years.”
On tax relief, he pointed out significant changes benefiting the middle class. “Income up to twelve lakh rupees is now tax-free. Under Congress rule, tax was levied on income above two lakh rupees, but the Modi government has increased the exemption limit to twelve lakh,” Thakur explained.
For small businesses, the budget raised investment limits for micro-enterprises from one crore to two and a half crore rupees, and doubled the turnover limits from five crore to ten crore rupees. Similarly, small and medium enterprises saw increased investment limits, boosting their growth potential.
Thakur also highlighted measures for farmers, including enhancements to the Kisan Credit Card scheme, which increased the loan limit from three lakh to five lakh rupees. Farmers who repay on time will receive an interest subvention, lowering their effective interest rate to as low as three per cent, with some BJP-ruled states offering even lower rates.
Regarding healthcare, Thakur praised the government’s decision to waive customs duties on 36 life-saving drugs, bringing down their cost to ensure better access to essential medicines.
On the startup ecosystem, Thakur pointed out that India now boasts over 1.5 lakh startups and 117 unicorns, making it the third-largest startup ecosystem globally. To support this growth, credit guarantee cover for startups has been doubled from ten crore to twenty crore rupees.
Thakur also criticized AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for avoiding accountability over the critical CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reports. With the CAG report soon to be tabled in the Delhi assembly, Thakur accused Kejriwal of evading responsibility despite using CAG reports as a foundation for his political rise.
“The person whose politics started based on the CAG report is Arvind Kejriwal. They always escaped answerability. The public has shown them the door now. It is BJP’s responsibility to table the CAG report in the Legislative Assembly and expose Arvind Kejriwal’s corruption,” Thakur asserted.