"Garib, Mahilayen, Yuva, Annadata are four major castes of focus for our govt": Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi [India], February 1 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday highlighted that the BJP-led Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in focusing on four major castes - Garib (Poor), Mahilayen (Women), Yuva (Youth) and Annadata (Farmer).
Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget 2024-25 in Lok Sabha and said that the needs and the welfare of these four sections hold the highest priority in her government.
"The government under the leadership of the Prime Minister firmly believes to focus on four major castes i.e. 'Garib' (poor), 'Mahilayen' (women), 'Yuva' (youth) and 'Annadata' (farmer). Their needs, their aspirations, and their welfare are our highest priority. The country progresses when they progress. All four require and receive government support in their quest to better their lives. Their empowerment and well-being will drive the country forward," the Finance Minister said.
Nirmala Sitharaman expressed that social justice is an effective and necessary governance model.
She further added that emphasis on reducing corruption has brought transparency and benefits delivered to all the eligible people.
"The focus of the government is on outcomes and not on outlays," she said.
Emphasising the development of railways, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that 40,000 normal rail bogies will be converted to the Vande Bharat Standards to enhance the safety and comfort of passengers.
"Forty thousand normal rail bogies will be converted to the Vande Bharat standards to enhance safety, convenience and comfort of passengers," FM Sitharaman said.
"The resultant decongestion of the high-traffic corridors will also help in improving operations of passenger trains, resulting in safety and higher travel speed for passengers. Together with dedicated freight corridors, these three economic corridor programmes will accelerate our GDP growth and reduce logistic costs," she asserted.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman declared that the Indian economy has undergone a profound positive transformation over the last decade.
"Indian economy witnessed a profound positive transformation in the last 10 years," the Finance Minister said.
The Finance Minister concluded her budget presentation with a positive outlook, signalling the government's determination to continue fostering inclusive growth and development.
The Budget 2024 is expected to undergo thorough scrutiny and debates in the coming days in the Parliament, as stakeholders assess its potential impact on the nation's economic trajectory.