Union Budget 2019: Government to bring ease in living through technology

New Delhi: Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2019-20 in Parliament today said that government aims to bring greater ease of living in the lives of its citizens through technology.

Digital payments are gaining acceptance everywhere including by the government. Use of technology is an effective way to ensure ease of living, she added.

The Finance Minister said that about 30 lakh workers have joined the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan. The scheme aims at providing Rs 3,000 per month as pension on attaining the age of 60 to crores of workers in unorganized and informal sectors.  It was launched on 5th March 2019 by Prime Minister at Ahmedabad.     

On the Ujala Yojana, the Finance Minister said that maintaining a cleaner environment and ensuring sustainable energy use is vital for good quality of life and ease of living. She said, “A programme of mass scaling up of LED bulbs for widespread distribution at household level was taken up resulting into a massive replacement of incandescent bulbs and CFLs in the country."

"Approximately 35 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under UJALA Yojana leading to cost saving of Rs 18,341 crores annually. India is going to be free of incandescent bulbs and CFL use has already become minuscule. We will use the approach of mission LED bulb method to promote the use of solar stoves and battery chargers in the country,” she added.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman further said that the government will launch a massive programme of railway station modernization this year to make railway travel a pleasant and satisfying experience for the common citizen.