Lists schemes initiated for middle class by Modi 3.0 Govt
STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was committed to the management and preservation of Waqf properties and would be passed in Parliament in the coming days.
At a press conference held to mark 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s third tenure, Shah said the bill would also prevent the misuse of Waqf properties.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last month and referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament for further examination after opposition parties raised strong objections to certain provisions of the draft law.
A government official said the bill was aimed at reducing conflicts and disputes. It also has provisions for setting up of a digital platform for online registration and monitoring of Waqf properties.
Listing out the government’s achievements in the first 100 days, Union Home Minister said that metro projects worth Rs 30,700 crore were approved in to enhance connectivity and reduce travel time. He said 12 industrial corridors with an investment of Rs 28,600 crore have been approved to give a boost to India’s journey of becoming a global manufacturing hub.
Shah, flanked by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act has been implemented by the government for transparency in recruitment.
The home minister said the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) was launched at Delhi’s IGI Airport to ensure hassle-free travel.
Under the FTI-TTP, eligible passengers will be allowed to utilise e-gates and bypass regular immigration queues for a seamless journey.
Eligible individuals will need to apply online and submit their biometrics (fingerprint and facial image) along with other required information as specified in the application form.
Shah said the government has made income up to Rs 7 lakh tax-free and started an increased standard deduction from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000, to benefit crores of taxpayers.
“A comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act was initiated to simplify it and make it people-friendly,” he said.
Talking about the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), the home minister said it will give an assured pension of 50 per cent of the average basic pay drawn over the last 12 months before superannuation. Revision of the ‘one rank, one pension’ scheme will ensure the welfare of retired defence personnel and their families, he added.
Shah said 75,000 new medical seats will be available soon and that will reduce reliance on overseas institutions and improve the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
On the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said people above the age of 70 years irrespective of income will be given a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per year, benefiting 6 crore senior citizens.
He said one crore houses will be built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with a central government subsidy of Rs 2.30 lakh crore for urban housing development.
The home minister said solar systems installed in 3.5 lakh houses under the ‘PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’ will increase savings for the middle class.
Besides, he said, the MUDRA loan limit has been doubled from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to boost entrepreneurship while customs duty on gold and silver was reduced to 6 per cent and on platinum to 6.4 per cent providing relief to the middle class.
The government will also procure electric buses under the ‘PM-eBus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism’ with a support of Rs 3,400 crore for providing environmentally friendly transport system, he said.