New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (February 1, 2023) presented the last full Budget of the second term of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and said that they made a cash transfer of more than Rs 2.2 lakh crore under the PM-KISAN scheme. Speaking at the Parliament, she said that the mission of the government is to achieve a knowledge-driven economy. Sitharaman, who has now become the sixth minister in independent India to present five consecutive budgets, stated that the Indian economy has become more formalised as witnessed by a significant enhancement in digital payments.


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"Financial assistance of more than Rs 2.25 lakh crore has been provided to small farmers under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. About three crore women farmers have been provided Rs 54,000 crore under the scheme," the finance minister said.


Institutional credit in the agriculture sector grew as much as Rs 18.6 lakh crore in FY22 from Rs 15.8 lakh crore in FY21, she said.



Initiatives such as PM-KSIAN, PM-Fasal Bima Yojana and forming agriculture infrastructure fund have provided much-needed support to the sector, the finance minister of India added.


At the same time, the role of digital infrastructure in socioeconomic development has gathered increased importance and India positioned itself strongly as a knowledge hub.


The focus of the digital India programme rests on providing high-speed internet as a core utility to citizens for delivering services, creating a unique digital identity, and providing shareable private space on the public cloud (digitally storing certificates and documents), Sitharaman said.



WATCH: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Presenting Budget 2023