Benefits For Farmers And Rural India In Budget 2019

In her budget 2019 speech, FM Sitharaman said, "at the Centre of everything that we do, we keep gaon, garib, aur kisan," indicating that there is no denying that rural population in India remains significant.

Some announcements made for rural India were:

• By 2022, the 75th year of India's independence, it was assured that every single rural family, except those who are unwilling to take the connection will have an electricity and a clean cooking facility under the Central Government's Ujjwala Yojana and Saubhagya Yojana.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), a total of 1.54 crore rural homes were completed in the last five years, Sitharaman said. In the second phase of PMAY-G, that is from 2019-20 to 2021-22, 1.95 crore houses are proposed to be provided to the eligible beneficiaries. These houses are also being provided with amenities like toilets, electricity and LPG connections.
• The government envisions upgrading 1,25,000kms of road length over the next five years, with an estimated cost of Rs 80,250 crore.
• Under the Scheme of Fund for Upgradation and Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) 100 new Bamboo, Honey and Khadi clusters are proposed to be set up during 2019-20 to enable 50,000 artisans to join the economic value chain.
• 80 Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) and 20 Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) will be set up in 2019-20 to develop 75,000 skilled entrepreneurs in agro-rural industry sectors.
• Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Swachh Bharat Mission to be expanded to undertake sustainable solid waste management in every village.
• 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organizations to be formed to ensure economies of scale for farmers over the next five years.
• Zero Budget Farming to be replicated in all states.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) program received a budget allocation of Rs 60,000 crore for FY 2019-20, up by Rs 5,000 crore from the previous year.
• Farmers struck by natural calamities to receive 2-5 percent interest subvention under insurance scheme.
• Two percent interest subsidy to be given to farmers involved in animal husbandry activities via kisaan credit card scheme. An additional three percent subsidy will be provided on timely payment of loans.