Budget 2025: Invested in agriculture, rural prosperity and urban development, says Sitharaman

Hours after presenting the Budget 2025, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday addressed a press conference and said the budget this time has invested in agriculture, rural prosperity and urban development.

"The budget says several things about our path towards 'Viksit Bharat'. It has invested in agriculture, it has certainly looked at rural prosperity, focuses on urban development, particularly looking at urban workers, and continues to lay emphasis on reforms,” she said.

She further said responding to voice of the people, which is what PM Modi is known for, it is a very responsive government, and as a result, the income tax simplification which she had announced in July is already completed in its works and we shall bring the bill next week. “So, the income tax simplification about which I had gone in detail in July budget... it will be brought to the Parliament next



week," she said.

Saying that there is no reduction in the public spending on capital expenditure, she said the Centre continues to place emphasis on the multiplier effect that capital expenditure done by government has shown has sustained us. “We continue on that, and with all this, our fiscal prudence has been maintained,” she said.

Sitharaman said, "One thing which I certainly would like to highlight is responding to the voice of the people, which is what Prime Minister Modi is known for in his administration. It's a very responsive government and as a result, the income tax simplification which I announced in July is already completed in its works and we shall bring the bill in the next week...So if we are talking of reform inclusive of taxation, the work is done. This budget also speaks about rationalization and customs. Tariffs are being brought down, tariffs are being simplified..."