Bhubaneswar: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said that there will be no reduction in fund allocation in MGNREGA scheme in this year’s budget.
There may be provisions to increase the allocation with growing demand, Sitharaman said during a news conference in Bhubaneswar.
The Finance Minister, who arrived in Bhubaneswar Thursday evening for a two-day visit to Odisha, joined a post-budget discussion Friday. She discussed the Union Budget with numerous stakeholders from business, commerce, banking, and insurance sectors.
Regarding MGNREGA she informed that provisions will go through changes as the demands grows. She added that govt also encourages expenditure.
Sitharaman added that the Center has not cut back on its rice procurement. According to her, the MSP is delivered directly to farmers’ bank accounts to avoid involvement of middlemen.
The Center is paying back loans that were taken out during the Covid-19 pandemic to be distributed among the states. As the GST revenue has increased post-pandemic, the states won’t be impacted, she noted.
The GST compensation regime has been prolonged till 2026, added Sitharaman.
PNN