MP Rajiv Bhardwaj and Indu Bala Goswami Welcome Union Budget

Dharamshala, February 1, 2025: Kangra-Chamba Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Bhardwaj and Rajya Sabha MP  Indu Bala Goswami have welcomed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, hailing it as a boon for the middle class, farmers, and rural development.

MP Rajiv Bhardwaj lauded the full exemption of income tax on earnings up to ₹12 lakh, with an extended limit of ₹12.75 lakh for government and corporate employees. He called it the biggest gift for the middle class, bringing relief to millions of taxpayers.

He also appreciated the new fisheries development scheme, which will boost fish production in around 20 major reservoirs of Himachal Pradesh, including Pong Dam, Govind Sagar, Chamera, and Bhakra Dam. This initiative is expected to increase fish supply to states like Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi while improving the livelihoods of around two lakh families engaged in the fisheries sector.

Welcoming the Bharat Net Yojana provision to provide broadband connectivity in all senior secondary schools and primary health centers, Bhardwaj emphasized its benefits for remote areas like Chamba, Kangra, Bharmour, and Pangi, which remain cut off for months due to snowfall and natural calamities. He highlighted that students preparing for competitive exams and higher education would particularly benefit from this initiative.

He further praised the decision to introduce payment banking facilities in post offices, which will extend banking access to remote snowbound areas like Chamba, Bharmour, Pangi, and Lahaul-Spiti. He noted that postmen will be leveraged to deliver banking services to citizens’ doorsteps, ensuring financial inclusion and boosting economic prosperity.

Bhardwaj also welcomed the increase in the Kisan Credit Card loan limit from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, stating that this will make more capital available to farmers. Additionally, he commended the government’s renewed focus on Make in India, stressing that Himachal Pradesh has the potential to play a key role in the mission’s success.

On the agriculture front, Rajya Sabha MP Indu Bala Goswami welcomed the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, which aims to strengthen the agricultural sector. She emphasized that 90% of Himachal Pradesh’s population is directly connected to farming, making this scheme a major game-changer for the state’s economy.

She highlighted that the scheme’s storage facilities at the Panchayat and Block levels would prevent farmers from selling their produce in distress, allowing them to wait for better prices. This, she said, would ensure higher incomes for farmers and usher in a new era of economic prosperity in rural Himachal.

Goswami also noted that the scheme will develop irrigation facilities in districts like Kangra and Chamba, reducing farmers’ dependence on unpredictable rainfall. She added that easy access to loans under the scheme would free farmers from the clutches of middlemen and moneylenders, potentially curbing cases of farmer suicides.

Praising the government’s efforts to uplift rural India, Goswami stated that new rural development initiatives announced in the budget will be especially beneficial for a state like Himachal, where the majority of the population resides in villages. She highlighted that skill development programs for rural youth will help them find self-employment opportunities, reducing migration to cities and ensuring that elderly villagers continue receiving family support.

Both MPs expressed confidence that the budget will pave the way for economic growth, rural prosperity, and better opportunities for the people of Himachal Pradesh.