Highlights of union budget for 2009-10

By IANS,

New Delhi : Highlights of the union budget for the current fiscal presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha Monday:


Support TwoCircles

– No change in corporate tax rate

– Income tax exemption limit for senior citizens increased by Rs.15,000, for women and others by 10,000 each

– New indirect tax will be introduced in 45 days

– Fringe benefit tax abolished

– Goods and services tax (GST) will be introduced April 1, 2010

– An alternative dispute settlement mechanism to be set up to settle tax disputes

– Lawyers brought under the ambit of service tax

– Tax exemption on profits in the natural gas sector extended

– Customs duty on LCD TVs reduced to 5 percent from 10 percent

– Five percent customs tax imposed on set-top boxes

– Rs.500 crore for the rehabilitation of displaced Sri Lankan Tamils and reconstruction activities in that country

– Aligarh Muslim University campuses to be set up in Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram in Kerala

– Allocation for the minority affairs ministry raised to Rs.1,740

– Plan expenditure up 34 percent, non-plan spend up 37 percent

– Total spending increased to Rs.10.2 lakh crore

– Rs.420 crore for new IITs and NITs

– Commonwealth Games allocated Rs.3,472 crore

– National unique identification numbers to start rolling out in 12-18 months

– Paramilitary forces such as CRPF to get 100,000 homes

– Banking services in under-banked areas to be increased, scheme allocated Rs.100 crore

– Agriculture debt waiver extended by six months

– Outlay for national rural health mission increased by Rs.2,057 crore from the Rs.12,070 crore provided in the interim budget

– Allocation towards National Rural Employment Guarantee Act increased by Rs.39,100 crore

– Allocation for Bharat Nirman scheme increased by 45 percent

– Rs.20,000 crore for rural housing

– Rural electrification scheme to get Rs.7,000 crore more

– Tax department to work on early introduction of Saral 2 forms

– Stimulus for print media extended from June 13 to Dec 31

– Rs.1,000 crore to accelerate irrigation projects

– Agriculture development fund increased from Rs.2.87 lakh crore to Rs.3.25 lakh crore

– Market development assistance scheme for exporters increased by 148 percent to Rs.124 crore

– Pre-shipment interest subvention set at 2 percent for textile exporters

– Sufficient funds for infrastructure development

– Allocation for national highways development stepped up by 23 percent

– Allocation for urban poor schemes to be raised to Rs.39,730 crore

– LNG infrastructure to be expanded

– Allocation for Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission raised by 87 percent to Rs.12,887 crore

SUPPORT TWOCIRCLES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND NON-PROFIT MEDIA. DONATE HERE