The Newsroom | Samvaad Budget 2023: India likely to become 2nd largest economy by 2040, says Hardeep Singh Puri

Feb 03,2023

Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday spoke in detail on the Budget 2023 at ‘India TV Samvaad Budget 2023’. 

Singh asserted that Budget 2023 will lay down a blueprint for India to become a developed nation and the country will become 2nd largest economy by 2040.

While replying to a question whether the Budget 2023 addressed inflation, he said definitely, the per capita income has been increased in India, 9-year ago it was Rs 1 lakh but now it is hiked to Rs 1.97 lakh. “Our economy jumped from the top 10 biggest economies to the top 5 economies,” he added.

Our target is to make India 3rd largest economy, Puri said. 

Puri said during the pandemic, the Modi government provided free rations to 80 crore people under the country’s Food Security Act.

Responding to the Opposition’s charge that the government is gradually decreasing subsidies, the Union Minister said that subsidy is taxpayers’ money and it has to be degressive.

Speaking on LPG cylinders connections, he said till 2014 when UPA left the government, there were around 14 crore connections but now so far during the Modi regime, the connections have already reached around 31-32 crores.

“Modi government has proved that good governance is also good politics. This Budget is 10/10 Budget,” the Union Minister said.

Puri slams Kejriwal

Puri attacked AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on the ‘Revadi culture’ (Freebies) saying Delhi Metro fares were not revised for the last 8-10 years. Puri recalled he held a meeting with Kejriwal ahead of increasing fares rate. “I asked him (Kejriwal), what do you want, make metro like other undertaking public transport in Delhi or you want to make public transport like Delhi Metro,” he added. The public transport has to be built on someone’s money so, we can’t give avoided fare hikes, he asserted. 

“If someone elected by the people is building basic infrastructure for the health, it is good but it has to perform in a time-testing period. What happened during the pandemic, the Mohalla clinics collapsed. They were nothing but buildings run by compounders not even by doctors,” he added. 

Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who presented the Union Budget 2023 in Parliament on February 1, described it as ‘the first budget of Amrit Kaal’. A couple of days after she present the Budget 2023, FM Sitharaman will be responding to the concerns of the aam aadmi regarding country’s economy and other issues on India TV Samvaad Budget. Top Modi Cabinet ministers, including Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Commerce & Industry and Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal Minister will also be decoding the Budget 2023. On the other hand, Opposition leaders will be putting forth their views on India TV’s big stage. Stay tuned for all the live updates from the mega event throughout the day.