NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday instructed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers to highlight the pro-people aspects of the Union Budget 2023-24 by creating awareness about the proposals that aim to benefit the poor and the middle class.
Addressing the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting, the Prime Minister also referred to the loss of life in earthquake-affected Turkey and Syria, saying India has extended all possible help and if required more will be done to help the countries, according to party functionaries aware of the details.
In his first interaction with the party MPs during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, Modi said the Budget has “something for all” and that all lawmakers, ministers and senior party leaders must underscore this aspect at all public meetings and interactions with people in their respective constituencies, said a functionary.
Modi specifically asked the lawmakers to reach out to the poor and the middle class to explain the benefits they stand to gain from provisions such as a rejig in the tax slabs, said a functionary.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 presented the Union Budget 2023-24 with the revised tax slabs, which, the government claims, was done in response to the long-pending demand to rework the tax structure. The government is also hopeful that the measure will blunt the public anger over inflation and price rise.
“The MPs also felicitated the PM for the Budget and the economic policies,” said the functionary, requesting anonymity, adding the finance minister was also felicitated by her party colleagues for the Budget.
Expressing concern over the deaths and destruction caused by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Modi also recalled how a massive earthquake in 2001 wrecked his home state of Gujarat and the effort that was put to rebuild large parts of the state.
“He recalled how Kutch was rebuilt after the massive destruction caused by the earthquake in 2001 and said all possible help is being extended to these countries,” the functionary quoted above said. “The PM said India has sent rescue teams and if required more help will be provided.”
New Delhi has dispatched relief material, including medicines to Turkey where an earthquake had left over 3,800 people dead. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team with a specially trained dog squad, advanced drilling machines, and other equipment has already reached Turkey.
