Budget 2018 will strengthen the vision of a 'new India': Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today termed the Union Budget for 2018-19 "development-friendly" The budget, he emphasised, will create new opportunities for rural India This is the government's last full budget before the general elections

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today termed the Union Budget for 2018-19 "development-friendly" and said it will strengthen the vision of a 'new India'.

Congratulating Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his team, Modi said farmers, Dalits and tribal communities will gain from the budget.

The budget, he emphasised, will create new opportunities for rural India.

This is the government's last full budget before the general elections.

Discussing various schemes of his government, including the construction of toilets and initiatives in the areas of housing, power and health, the prime minister emphasised that the budget devotes attention to all sectors, ranging from agriculture to infrastructure.

The budget is "farmer friendly, common citizen friendly, business environment friendly" and will add to 'ease of living' and 'ease of doing business', Modi added.

The government will soon announce concrete steps to address non-performing assets (NPA) and 'stress account' issues for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, the prime minister said.