Budget 2022: Sitharaman lists 4 govt priorities for 'Amrit Kaal'

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday listed four government priorities for the ‘Amrit Kaal’,  from 75 years to 100 years of India's independence. While presenting the budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Sitharaman said that PM Gati Shakti will be one of the top priorities for the government.

Sitharaman underlined that PM Gati Shakti is driven by seven engines: roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics infrastructures. The minister added that all seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison.

"During Amrit Kaal, our government aims to achieve the vision for India@100 set out by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day Address," she said.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents Budget 2022: Track Live Updates

For faster movement of people and goods, the government will formulate the PM Gati Shakti master plan for expressways in the financial year 2022-23. Sitharaman said that the national highways network will be expanded by 25,000km in 2022-2023.

Besides PM Gato Shakti, Sitharaman said the other three priorities will be "inclusive development; productivity enhancement and investment, sunrise opportunities, energy transition, and climate action; and financing of investments"

Sitharaman said the budget continues to provide an impetus for growth with a futuristic and inclusive blueprint for the Amrit Kaal, directly benefiting youth, women, farmers, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

She said the government contribution will be provided for R&D in "sunrise opportunities".

"Artificial Intelligence (AI), Geospatial Systems and Drones, semiconductor and its ecosystem, Space Economy, genomics and pharmaceuticals, green energy, and clean mobility systems have immense potential to assist sustainable development at scale and modernise the country," she said.

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